“IT'S ALWAYS been a dream of mine to play for Carlton.” 

There was no hesitation for Charlie Curnow when it came to putting pen to paper for a new six-year deal. 

Ever since his brother Ed got drafted to the Club in 2010, Curnow dreamed of playing in the Navy Blue and ever since he himself got drafted in 2015, his dream has been as fulfilling as he envisaged. 

Going through some tough times at the Club in recent seasons, Curnow - speaking to Carlton Media - detailed his awe of the support he received from Carlton, noting that he couldn’t imagine a better fit for him than the Navy Blues. 

“I’ve always come to the Carlton Football Club thinking that it’s a good home for me,” Curnow said. 

“I’ve got such great connections to all of the boys here: it’s something I really want to keep in my life going forward.

“When Ed got drafted here in 2010, I got to come here as a young kid and enjoy the Club and I always loved the idea of playing at Carlton.” 

Curnow came to the Club in a wave of change, with Jacob Weitering, Harry McKay, David Cuningham and Jack Silvagni also being drafted in the same year. 

Curnow noted that now being with those teammates for seven years, they have built a particularly special bond which will make the good times even more rewarding in the future. 

“I got drafted with those boys as well, so it’s special being a group for seven years, building that time together as a forward line: it’s been really special,” he said. 

“Now that we’re seeing some reward, it’s a much better feeling because we’ve built that together.” 

After an injury layoff of over two seasons, Curnow didn’t know what to expect when he returned to the AFL level, but he said what he’s currently producing was something he always felt he could get back to.

While it took him a while to get going in the backend of 2021, Curnow said the support of his teammates and coaches got him through, encouraging him to have a massive pre-season and come out firing in 2022 – and that’s exactly what Curnow did. 

“I don’t know if it was beyond my expectations, I always just thought when I was training ‘it’s not my time, it’ll come’,” he said. 

“I thought I was pretty hopeless in the early days" I thought I was doing nothing, I was training well but I couldn’t put it all together on the field. That’s where my teammates really supported me and showed a lot of confidence in me and telling me that I can have an impact in the game. 

“It’s been [my teammates] and my family that really got me over the line and always knew I could do it and I’m glad I’m finally showing something.” 

Now that Curnow is back and firing, he’s found the atmosphere of a big Carlton crowd "infectious". 

Noting that he always had a strong support from the fans even when he was injured, Curnow said the encouragement and belief has never gone unnoticed, and that the sound that comes after he kicks a goal leaves him - and the fans - wanting more. 

“It’s obviously such a passionate club and supporter base,” he said.  

“For me - someone who was out of the game for so long - to feel the support in a game, it’s an addictive feeling: I love it. 

“When the team is going well, putting on pressure, playing the way we want to play and they’re clapping when ‘Durds’ does a smother: it’s infectious and we love them for it."

Remaining at a place he has regarded as home since day dot, Curnow acknowledged the positive impact that past and present teammates have had on him as both a person and footballer.

The 25-year-old now wants to deliver that over the course of at least the next seven years, repaying the faith in the Club's investment towards him.

“When you’re with a group of people for such a long time, you do naturally get closer and then working hard together, we’ve built a lot of trust as a group,” he said. 

“Even with that draft class below me, plus 'Walshy' isn’t too far below, there’s a good core group there of guys following the lead of the older guys like Ed, ‘Crippa’ and ‘Doc’ that have been there for a while too. 

“There’s so many people that I’ve met along the way to help build this so hopefully we can make them proud and keep it going. I think that’s what is going to make this so special moving forward is that we’ve built this as a team.”