AFL 2023: Retired Blue Ed Curnow on Carlton’s Torquay trip and finishing career on the outer

Ed Curnow was central to Carlton’s turnaround after a mid-season trip, but he wasn’t there when the whips were cracking. He reflects on the team bonding session and his career.

Ed Curnow wasn’t out there for Carlton’s thrilling finals run, but he was central to their dramatic turnaround.

As pressure intensified on the club after losing seven of their last eight games, coach Michael Voss and captain Patrick Cripps decided that a midweek trip down at Curnow’s Torquay property would help release the shackles.

While it has been written in folklore as one of the major turning points that led Carlton to preliminary final, Curnow was concerned that it had the opposite effect when they conceded nine goals to three after halftime to arch rivals Essendon that week.

“It was a really good circuit breaker and a good night and then we went and got smashed the next week by Essendon so I was really worried that it didn’t work,” Curnow said with a laugh.

“After that the guys started to click into gear but I think people forget the next week we actually got smacked.”

Ed Curnow was concerned about the trip initially. Picture: Michael Klein

Patrick Cripps leads the team off after their loss to Essendon. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

But from there the Blues regained their confidence and started the play with the talent that their list possessed, winning seven straight to book an unlikely finals berth.

Rather than an honesty session, Curnow said it was more of a team bonding effort and a brief escape from the scrutiny that the players can’t help but feel at the Carlton Football Club.

He said the calm and consistent approach from CEO Brian Cook, president Luke Sayers and the coaching staff also helped the players turn it around on-field.

“I think it was a good call from Michael Voss the coach and Patty Cripps to, they love getting out of the city. A lot of the guys on our list are country guys so in that period we were struggling and I think the guys’ confidence was really low,” Curnow said.

“So it was just a good to get down the coast and do something different, have a big bonfire and have a bit of fun and a few beers midweek when usually it wouldn’t be the recommended thing.

“It was more just a chance to get out of the city. Carlton is a huge club with many passionate supporters and gathers a lot of media attention so as a player you feel it at the footy club – as much as the president, CEO, coaching group will try to protect you from the outside news, you definitely feel it.”

ON THE OUTER

It was a touch cruel that Curnow wasn’t on-field to taste Carlton’s finals success that he had worked so hard for across his career.

After missing the entire season with injury last year, Curnow played every game in the first half of the year but fell out of favour after that, demoted to the VFL on several occasions.

He started rounds 21-23 in the green vest but was again dropped for the final home-and-away round, announcing he would retire from the game at season’s end days later.

Having played 170 senior games since he last took the field in the 2013 finals series, Curnow would end up stuck on the outer.

The selfless Blue was still overjoyed to see the Blues’ teammates but conceded it was tough watching from the sidelines.

Ed Curnow Picture: Getty Images

“It was (tough) yeah. Really excited for the footy club, my teammates, coaches, everyone has worked so hard for success at the footy club to be in finals and to go on that amazing run,” Curnow said.

“We really looked like a really solid team that should be playing finals. It was great to be a part of but also tough.

“Like any player who is not being selected and you’ve got to watch on and celebrate your teammates for what they’re doing but essentially you’re not being picked.”

CURNOW’S CAREER

Despite the Curnow looks back on his career fondly, able to reach 221 career games for Carlton after being delisted following his first season at Adelaide in 2008.

Making his name as a tagger with relentless workrate, Curnow said his career was a matter of survival at stages as he remained driven to stay on an AFL list.

“Sure I found (the finals) hard but it is really nice to be leaving now and how good the club’s going and that feels like a really nice way to go out,” Curnow said.

“To get picked up by Carlton and play my first game, that felt like an amazing reward for effort and then from there it was really just compete and work hard and adjust to different coaching and be able to play different roles and that sort of thing to survive.”

“But also try and improve as much as I could each year and hold a spot. I had a great time and was really lucky to have a whole heap of amazing coaches and teammates along the way that didn’t all necessarily play a whole heap of games but were all equally important to culture and driving standards at Carlton the last 10 years.”

Ed and Charlie Curnow at this year’s best-and-fairest. Picture: Josie Hayden

And he got to spend most of his career alongside younger brother Charlie, who he is immensely proud of after fighting back from knee issues that threatened to derail his career.

“I think his story is pretty amazing really, he had five or so surgeries, nearly three years out of the game and to come back and go back-to-back Coleman,” Curnow said.

“I’ve loved watching him and it’s no surprise, the work he puts in – he’s always down the Surf Coast running that Bells track, putting extra work in.”

Residing in Bells Beach, Curnow has just signed as a playing coach role with Lorne Football Club and has plenty going on outside of footy.

Outisde of caring for their three kids, Curnow has been assisting his wife with her marketing business, is helping starting up a new bathhouse in Torquay next year and will be working in property with his good friend, Chris Lock.

Originally published as AFL 2023: Retired Blue Ed Curnow on Carlton’s Torquay trip and finishing career on the outer