Universal Love Sydney Swans Death Ride Thread 2026-2027

[Faz 2000]

Best case scenario for this thread is we’ve Trojan Horsed in some contagious culture cancer into the Swans via Charlie could-chase-but-won’t Curnow. Ah he’ll probably still kick 40 more goals than our best guy, but we’re death riding so let’s revel in it.

 

[Blue_Fusion]

If tonight's game is any indication, then minus Gulden they are a 10th - 7th side.

Extreme accuracy from them compounded by inaccuracy from Hawthorn made the final margin much more flattering for them than what it should have been.

Hawks pretty much completely shut their system down after qtr time apart from a bit of a purple patch they had in the 3rd qtr.

 

[coryne]

I don’t have the same problem with Charlie that others around here do. I’d be happy to see him go well up there. But his body is just shot. And I think the result is that his mind is shot too.

The problem I have with Curnow is HE WAS a senior player for us, HE WAS performing poorly in 2025 and then HE jumped ship. A large reason we sucked last yeah is because HE was under performing.

Ditto for TDK. Imagine if both were actually playing to their potential. We would have been substantially better, and both might have stayed. Instead they performed poorly and created a self-fulfilling prophecy where they (at least in part) used that poor performance to justify their leaving.

So yes, I will have some schadenfreude when either suck it up into the future.....

 

[BlueTang]

I wonder what is a pass mark for Curnow this year? I think 60 goals and they’ll be happy enough, anything less there will be some noise

 

[marcmurphy3]

I wonder what is a pass mark for Curnow this year? I think 60 goals and they’ll be happy enough, anything less there will be some noise

I think it depends as much on how the Swans go as Curnow himself. They need to be contending.

Even if he only kicks 50, but they are top 4, Swans will argue its a success as hes making others better. Plus means they only lose a late 1st round draft pick.

While if he kicks 70 but they miss the 8, could argue getting him was pointless and the pick they lose would be more impactful long term.

 

[SurreyBlue]

Well you couldn't beat the poo so - Good luck Coxy - I mean it with my heart now.

 

[Chemical]

charlie can go get ****ed. go for a surf tomorrow buddy

 

[Chemical]

I couldnt sleep so did up a graph to see where Charlie peaked. Thought of sharing it on the Swans board but that would be petty. Interesting to see early on his tackling was pretty high.

 

[Espio]

Charlie's problem is that consistent effort and competitiveness cannot be turned on and off like a tap. They are a skill which needs to be learned and practiced. Like any other skill if they are not used they can deteriorate. Charlie is in the position where he has to learn himself out of a low effort hole he has dug for himself, that takes great will and commitment, which Charlie may? or may not have.

Anecdote time.
Many, many, many moons ago I had a talented coworker. He had climbed quite quickly to important roles with an organisation I was then working for.

Due to vagaries of our particular business, we had a couple of slow seasons, work slowed and demand for information from his area of responsibility was relatively unimportant. At this point he basically shut down all effort, half assed tasks, unreliable hours, long lunches etc.

When inevitably the business turned around and demand jumped it was basically all hands on deck. This guy simply could not get the effort back (young man, wasn't like he was holding out to retire), and his work was second rate to say the least.

I watched as he suffered 2 humiliating demotions in the 18 months that followed before I moved on. I have always carried that guy as a cautionary tale, once you switch off the effort and need to compete it can be a difficult road to return it.

 

[Sharks On A Plane]

It would have been galling to see Curnow suddenly add basics like chasing and halving contests to his game, now that he's wearing different colours. I could never understand why Voss wasn't stronger in demanding these things of Curnow, but it's becoming more apparent that maybe the issue runs far deeper than that.

 

[coryne]

I couldnt sleep so did up a graph to see where Charlie peaked. Thought of sharing it on the Swans board but that would be petty. Interesting to see early on his tackling was pretty high.

It is almost like Curnow started to go downhill after Ed retired and was no longer actively around to keep his head out of his ......

 

[RPCB]

It would have been galling to see Curnow suddenly add basics like chasing and halving contests to his game, now that he's wearing different colours. I could never understand why Voss wasn't stronger in demanding these things of Curnow, but it's becoming more apparent that maybe the issue runs far deeper than that.

Yep. This is a Charlie Curnow problem.

 

[teagueyubeauty]

It would have been galling to see Curnow suddenly add basics like chasing and halving contests to his game, now that he's wearing different colours. I could never understand why Voss wasn't stronger in demanding these things of Curnow, but it's becoming more apparent that maybe the issue runs far deeper than that.

I have no doubt Voss did last year, Charlie clearly sooked it up

 

[branedotorg]

It would have been galling to see Curnow suddenly add basics like chasing and halving contests to his game, now that he's wearing different colours. I could never understand why Voss wasn't stronger in demanding these things of Curnow, but it's becoming more apparent that maybe the issue runs far deeper than that.

always been the case, freakish talent but never held to the same account as other less talented players. You can't build a team when you have too many individuals doing their own thing.

 

[LemmingMaster]

It was certainly interesting watching Charlie last night and getting angry... then you remember it's like your ex girlfriend and it is not your problem anymore. Refreshing moment watching him just wrestle, refuse to chase and only give one effort and go missing for long periods of the game.

He actually looks much bigger than he was at Carlton and I really thought he would move the other direction and become lean and mobile.

 

[CarmenSandiego]

Charlie's problem is that consistent effort and competitiveness cannot be turned on and off like a tap.

It's interesting, are there any modern day guns who are able to get by on talent alone? Are those days officially over? Who was the last larrikin who didn't try that hard, but was freakishly talented and won flags, playing consistently in a top 4 team?

You just can't get by on talent now, need to be a workhorse & ultra competitive - Charlie isn't really either of those. He might've genuinely missed his era.

He could very well turn around and kick 80 goals from here, so I'm gun shy of writing him off.

 

[Sector 7G]

It's interesting, are there any modern day guns who are able to get by on talent alone? Are those days officially over? Who was the last larrikin who didn't try that hard, but was freakishly talented and won flags, playing consistently in a top 4 team?

You just can't get by on talent now, need to be a workhorse & ultra competitive - Charlie isn't really either of those. He might've genuinely missed his era.

He could very well turn around and kick 80 goals from here, so I'm gun shy of writing him off.

DeGoey.

CC at his best used to run up and down the wings, would launch at the ball, mark it, land and swing on to his right and launch it I50. Now he plays behind his man trying to wrestle bigger KPD. Would be interesting to see what has changed in his GPS numbers.

 

[Sharks On A Plane]

It's interesting, are there any modern day guns who are able to get by on talent alone? Are those days officially over? Who was the last larrikin who didn't try that hard, but was freakishly talented and won flags, playing consistently in a top 4 team?

You just can't get by on talent now, need to be a workhorse & ultra competitive - Charlie isn't really either of those. He might've genuinely missed his era.

He could very well turn around and kick 80 goals from here, so I'm gun shy of writing him off.

Look at a guy like Jeremy Cameron. Gifted with immense natural talent but also brings a freakish workrate and some serious mongrel. These are the types you build around.

 

[CarmenSandiego]

DeGoey.

CC at his best used to run up and down the wings, would launch at the ball, mark it, land and swing on to his right and launch it I50. Now he plays behind his man trying to wrestle bigger KPD. Would be interesting to see what has changed in his GPS numbers.

De Goey is a good shout - I'd say the 2nd half of his career he pulled his head in, but has always battled injuries.

Re: Curnow not doing anything remotely close to that anymore.

• No brother Ed keeping an eye on him.
• Potentially post-knee, they didn't even bother coaching him. Just said play your natural game and do as you please, so he did. Playing in a team that requires actual structure, setup, running patterns & sacrifice - it's just not natural to him .

 

[RPCB]

Sorry mods

 

[Blue1980]

The problem I have with Curnow is HE WAS a senior player for us, HE WAS performing poorly in 2025 and then HE jumped ship. A large reason we sucked last yeah is because HE was under performing.

Ditto for TDK. Imagine if both were actually playing to their potential. We would have been substantially better, and both might have stayed. Instead they performed poorly and created a self-fulfilling prophecy where they (at least in part) used that poor performance to justify their leaving.

So yes, I will have some schadenfreude when either suck it up into the future.....

To be fair Charlie’s 2025 made TDK look like max gawn.

 

[Blue1980]

De Goey is a good shout - I'd say the 2nd half of his career he pulled his head in, but has always battled injuries.

Re: Curnow not doing anything remotely close to that anymore.

• No brother Ed keeping an eye on him.
• Potentially post-knee, they didn't even bother coaching him. Just said play your natural game and do as you please, so he did. Playing in a team that requires actual structure, setup, running patterns & sacrifice - it's just not natural to him .

I think the injuries have caught up with him, but yes marked decrease in application and performance it looks like since brother Ed no longer around. Guessing recovery and doing the right things off field has fallen by the wayside post 2023.

 

[Espio]

It's interesting, are there any modern day guns who are able to get by on talent alone? Are those days officially over? Who was the last larrikin who didn't try that hard, but was freakishly talented and won flags, playing consistently in a top 4 team?

You just can't get by on talent now, need to be a workhorse & ultra competitive - Charlie isn't really either of those. He might've genuinely missed his era.

He could very well turn around and kick 80 goals from here, so I'm gun shy of writing him off.

I think Joe Daniher is the closest I can think of to the Curnow arc.

Supremely talented and then coasted in an environment that he didn't enjoy.

He went to Brissy and if memory serves me struggled for a while.

Joe bounced and became a important or even pivotal member of a premiership team.

Probably never quite reached the peak that some would suggest he had, but he did climb the mountain.

It remains to be seen whether Charles has the fortitude to do the same.

 

[RPCB]

Charlie '1 disposal second half last night'

Three 1st round picks, Will Hayward and $1 million off the books for Charlie Curnow.

 

[Espio]

Three 1st round picks, Will Hayward and $1 million off the books for Charlie Curnow.

You have to wonder when the press will fully turn and the headlines become "Have the Swans made the worst trade in AFL history?".

Gotta love a bit of hyperbole.