By Peter Ryan
Carlton star Charlie Curnow is the AFL’s most wanted man.
As part of The Age’s online poll of club bosses, each was asked which opposition player – AFL and AFLW – they would most like on their team.
King Charles: Curnow is the player most AFL club bosses nominated as the one they’d love to have at their club.Credit: Getty Images
The match-winning Coleman medallist was the top choice, nominated by four of the 19 club leaders who responded. AFLW best-and-fairest winner Monique Conti dominated the women’s poll, chosen by eight of the 19 bosses.
This masthead approached the 36 CEOs and presidents to participate in the survey, which canvassed their views on the big issues in the game, and 19 took part.
Although the 27-year-old Curnow, who is contracted with Carlton until 2029, had a quiet finals series, his ability to lift his team and his big box-office appeal had bosses dreaming of the navy blue star wearing their jumper.
The forward has won back-to-back Coleman Medals and is showing his brilliance on a consistent basis, having kicked 81 and 64 goals in the past two seasons after recovering from serious injury.
The appeal is obvious with former Blues skipper Marc Murphy last year comparing Curnow to the best forward in the modern era.
“There are not many people like ‘Buddy’ Franklin and I reckon Charlie of a similar ilk. He is a unicorn. There is no one that is similar to him,” Murphy said.
Curnow was one of 11 players named by club bosses as their preferred additions, showcasing the breadth of talent across the competition.
But it was a close call, with three leaders nominating the Western Bulldogs’ champion captain Marcus Bontempelli as their most sought after.
Collingwood’s young superstar Nick Daicos and Melbourne’s midfield machine Christian Petracca attracted two votes each while Port Adelaide’s Jason Horne-Francis, the Bulldogs’ Aaron Naughton, Collingwood’s premiership captain Darcy Moore, the Giants’ match-winner Toby Greene and teammates Sam Taylor and Tom Green, and Sydney’s Errol Gulden, as well as Curnow’s teammate Sam Walsh, all received a nomination.
St Kilda forward Max King was the most sought after player in last year’s survey but did not attract a vote this year after a shoulder injury restricted him to 28 goals in 11 games in 2023, having kicked 52 goals in 2022.
Melbourne four-time best and fairest Clayton Oliver received two votes last year but in an indication as to how his stocks have fallen in the industry, given his tumultuous off-season and uncertainty surrounding his future, no club boss nominated him this year.
Oliver, who has made positive steps recently as he works his way back from a pre-season interrupted by turmoil and absences to focus on his health, is contracted by the Demons for the next seven years.
Collingwood match-winner Jordan De Goey, Richmond’s triple premiership great Dustin Martin and Fremantle’s Luke Jackson also disappeared from the list.
Dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale has not appeared as a pick on the list either year despite his brilliance with the Lions, who are again tipped to push for the premiership after falling short to Collingwood in last year’s grand final for the ages.
While club bosses don’t manage lists, boards do play a role in big decisions around recruitment. Gulden will re-sign with the Swans as his latest deal finishes in 2024. Bontempelli and Taylor are out of contract at the end of 2025, but the other eight players are on long-term deals.
Richmond star Conti was the standout choice as the AFLW player that bosses would most like to have at their club.
AFLW best-and-fairest winner and Richmond champion Monique Conti.Credit: Jason South
Conti received eight votes to head Melbourne skipper Kate Hore and Geelong young gun Georgie Prespakis, who were next best with two votes each, with Sydney’s Chloe Molloy, Adelaide’s Ebony Marinoff, Hawthorn’s Emily Bates and Jasmine Fleming and the Brisbane Lions’ premiership star Nat Grider also winning a vote.
A brilliant player to watch, Conti is a five-time All-Australian, five-time club best and fairest and was best on ground when the Bulldogs won the 2018 premiership. She joined Richmond in 2020 and led the AFLW in clearances last season.
Conti has successfully juggled the demands of football with elite basketball, having her best season in the WNBL this year for the Melbourne Boomers, who are 1-0 down to the Southside Flyers in the WNBL semi-final series, with game two on Saturday night.
“Always having people high up saying ‘you can’t do that’ or ‘you won’t end up playing big minutes if you’re doing this’ or ‘your body will break down, you’re too young, you’re going to ruin yourself’... I just sat there like, ‘Fine, I’ll show you’… Being where I am with my football, it’s like ‘Well, told you’,” Conti told this masthead in January.
Click here for part one of The Age survey: ‘Concussion and a woke agenda’
Come back on Monday for our big AFL 2024 season preview, featuring chief football writer Jake Niall’s view on every club, ladder predictions from our expert team, and more.
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