Gold Coast forward Jed Walter could be the key to unlocking the Charlie Curnow trade from Carlton

One of the biggest blockbuster player exchanges in recent history could go down in October – and one young Gold Coast forward could be the key to it all. Would this be a win for Carlton?

He could be the one player who might sway Carlton to pull the trigger on Charlie Curnow.

When Gold Coast plays in the club’s first final against Fremantle in Perth on Saturday night, second-year power forward Jed Walter will be watching from the sidelines.

The 195cm goal kicker is frustrated he has fallen out of the Suns’ senior side after 18 majors from 16 games in 2025.

He is a prodigious talent, Walter, and as things stand the Suns have no plans to trade the pick three ahead of more list management talks next week.

But if Carlton can convince Walter, 20, to have a conversation with coach Michael Voss, the door could open, if even only slightly, on a deal to move Curnow on from Ikon Park.

Jed Walter could be the key to the Charlie Curnow trade. Picture: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos

The Blues lost Josh Kennedy at the end of his second season in the Chris Judd trade back in 2007 and there is a bit of Kennedy in the way Walter aggressively hunts the footy and the man.

Curnow’s preference is still to land at Geelong due to the lifestyle, or Sydney Swans.

But a deal is going to be hard.

So unless a three or four-way arrangement develops, Walter is a man who can unlock one of the biggest blockbuster player exchanges in recent times in a swap for Curnow, 28, to get the frustrated Blue out of Melbourne and north of the border where he can surf at Snapper Rocks.

Walter will demand at least $1-million-a-season on eight-plus years to even think about a move to Carlton.

And if rival clubs get the sniff he’s available, his manager, John Meesen from Kapital Sports, will get a call from every club in the country.

But as the Blues prepare to bring back gun midfielder Jagga Smith next season, the potential to partner the smooth-moving Smith with powerhouse forward Walter is a big tick for the Blues’ future. The cornerstones.

The opportunity at hand for the Suns would be to have the best key forward combination in the game with Ben King and Curnow for next season.

It would be must-watch and both are managed by Robbie D’Orazio from Connors Sports.

The Suns will be in full-on premiership mode next year and there is a chance a Curnow – King duo could work in the same way Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch combined to win two flags for Damien Hardwick at Richmond.

Would you trade Curnow...

For a younger Walter?

And for the big picture, perhaps the AFL wouldn’t be unhappy to see one of the Suns’ gun academy talents moved on to another club to help counter the arguments against the Gold Coast talent stockpile.

The talent at Gold Coast is frightening.

These are big calls and the talks around this option won’t happen until next week, at the earliest.

But if Carlton thought it was in a difficult spot with Curnow, a second-year replacement key forward might be their best chance of a deal. And one they would be prepared to go ahead with.

Originally published as Gold Coast forward Jed Walter could be the key to unlocking the Charlie Curnow trade from Carlton