Ed Curnow will have got another 15 kilometres into his legs by siren time Sunday afternoon. Do the math, and that’s roughly 1500ks in five and a half seasons for the Marathon Man.
“I love running. It’s a bit of a feelgood-type thing for me and I realise if I’m not running I’m not going to be in the side,” he said.
The St Kilda match at Etihad Stadium doubles as Ed’s 100th game for the Carlton Football Club, and means his name from hereon in shares locker space at No.35 with Jack Conley and Peter Dean.
“When I played Under 18s for Vic Country Peter Dean was the defence coach,” Ed recalled. “I still run into him a bit, which is nice, and although I never got to meet Jack Conley when people ask me how many games I played the coolest thing will be to say I share the locker with them and with all my teammates on the other lockers.”
Ed Curnow in action for Vic Country, 2007. (Photo: AFL Media)
Whenever Brendon Bolton talks about the journey, Ed can no doubt relate, for his has been a journey with all its twists and turns – from Modewarre to Geelong College, to Geelong Falcons and the blue beyond.
Drafted to Adelaide (then coached by Carlton’s Director of Development, Coaching and Performance Neil Craig) in 2008, Ed could not break in - and was summarily delisted after cooling his feet at Glenelg.
Returning to Victoria, Ed committed to VFL heavy-hitters Box Hill, under the watch of a coach on the make named Brendon Bolton - during which time he impressed with his propensity for hard-running and his great capacity to endure.
Given a chance as a nominated rookie on the cusp of the 2011 season, Ed, at 21 years 136 games, made the cut for the season opener against Richmond - on the same night Nick Duigan and Jeremy Laidler ran out for the first time in Dark Navy.
Ed Curnow celebrates a win on debut in the 2011 season opener against Richmond. (Photo: AFL Media)
In the years since, this selfless player has fulfilled a myriad of tasks for the betterment of the team, not the least of which is his close-checking of opposition on-ballers. But as the man himself reminded: “My strength is running and I’ve got to come to the game with a real will to run hard from the very start”.
“That’s what gets me going and gets me into games,” Ed said. “I also like physical contact, which is why I want to be strong around the footy.”
For the 26-year-old Curnow, the Carlton connection is deeply personal, because Carlton is family.
“I’m very fortunate that Carlton decided to pick me up in the rookie draft then draft my brother as well. It’s awesome to look at all the relationships I’ve built and the connections my family has with this club,” Ed said.
Forever grateful to Brett Ratten for the opportunity to show that he belonged in the AFL system, Ed is equally praiseworthy for Mick Malthouse from whom he said he learnt plenty.
Have the first 99 flown? Hardly, came the reply.
“In getting to 100 games it hasn’t been straight forward,” he said. “It’s been up and down for me in terms of form and injury, and I’ve been unsure if I’d actually become an AFL footballer and make it – and to be honest I still don’t think I’ve made it.
“But now, with Brendon Bolton and the coaches we’ve got under him, there’s a really good feeling about the Club and I really enjoy coming to Carlton.”
2016 marks Ed Curnow's first season in Carlton's leadership group. (Photo: AFL Media)
For all those twists and turns along the way, Ed wouldn’t have had it any different.
“Footy’s been an awesome journey for me,” he said. “I’ve got to go to uni, I’ve got to go to Adelaide, I’ve got to play in the SANFL and I’ve had the opportunity of playing in the VFL. I’ve played under plenty of good coaches, and with heaps of good players from all over Victoria and Australia.
“Carlton is my home now, but I’ve built a lot of relationships with a lot of people in a lot of places.”
