Lorne lands recently retired Blue Ed Curnow as playing senior coach

A local side has secured a bumper signing, landing a recently retired AFL player with more than 200 games of experience — and he won’t just be playing.

Ed Curnow has signed with Lorne. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

A massive name is joining the Colac and District FNL, with Lorne landing recently retired Blue Ed Curnow as their playing senior coach.

Curnow played 221 games for Carlton across 14 seasons, including 17 this season, and called time on his career in late August before the Blues’ rousing finals run.

The much-loved former Blue grew up on the Surf Coast and lives in Bells Beach, with strong connections to the club, including with Lorne football director Mark Russell – who has known the Curnow family for two decades – also helping getting Curnow over the line.

The move has been bubbling away for the past three weeks after former coach Alex Adams decided to step down due to family commitments.

Curnow said it was Adams who planted the seed to him during the season, with Curnow waiting to get his life after footy in place before making the call.

He had interest in joining his Bellarine FNL junior clubs, Torquay or Modewarre, along with Anglesea, but said the opportunity to take the reins as a senior coach on the Surf Coast was too good to pass up.

Curnow, who turns 34 next month, was a heart and soul figure at Carlton, highly rated internally for his leadership qualities and defensive side of his game, regularly tasked with tagging roles on the game’s best midfielders.

Ed Curnow celebrates a goal with his brother Charlie. Picture: Michael Klein

He recorded podium best-and-fairest finishes in three consecutive seasons from 2018-2020 and will bring a wealth of experience on and off the field to Lorne, who were knocked out in the second week of finals this year.

Curnow said he is excited to take on the role and reunite with familiar faces, such as former Geelong Falcons talent manager Michael Turner.

“During the year I had a relationship with Al Adams who was coach last year and he planted the seed and said he probably wasn’t going to keep coaching and when he first mentioned it,” Curnow said.

“I thought I need to sort out what I’m doing for work, help (wife) Em with her business, sort out the kids and spend a bit of time at home and it just kind of evolved from there.

“It was really just the opportunity to coach and be on the Surf Coast where we have grown up and where our kids go to school, kinder and childcare so yeah taking up a coaching role part of the community we live in is exciting.

“We live at Bells Beach, and I suppose I grew up playing with Torquay and Modewarre. I wanted to speak to those guys and Anglesea but the only thing was they are all really well set up and they’ve got coaches and Lorne had a vacancy.

“It’s a beautiful part of the world and great people, strong connections down there with Mick Turner from junior days and Mark Russell from Geelong College. Really excited to be a part of that community.”

Ed Curnow is Lorne's new coach. Picture: Lorne FC

Lorne president Carly Enticott said there is a buzz about the town after his signing and the phone has been “running hot” with interest.

But there is one big name that Curnow won’t be able to secure.

“I think Charlie (Curnow) is out of the picture which is disappointing,” Enticott said with a laugh.

“People who were maybe not going to play are already (asking) ‘when’s training start’, the phones are running hot at the football that’s for sure with incoming calls.

“It’s probably been brewing away for about three weeks. Once Alex had kind of declared that he didn’t want to move forward with coaching it was kind of, you know, head to the drawing board and see what we could find.

“Ed’s name got tossed up and about and there’s quite a few strong connections with parents of players and stuff as well at Lorne that have been quite instrumental in getting him over the line.

“It’s really strong family connections, he’s living on the coast now and it is much closer for him to drive to us then to drive to Melbourne.

“Once you meet him he is one of the most down to earth, considerate, he understands country football, he understands the importance of the football club and where it fits in Lorne’s community.”

Originally published as Lorne lands recently retired Blue Ed Curnow as playing senior coach