IT WAS a solid return to AFL for Ed Curnow, with the 33-year-old hitting the MCG for the first time since 2021.

The experienced Blue was a welcome return for his side, with his experience and physicality providing stability and flexibility both in the forward line and through the midfield in the final term.

Playing in front of over 88,000 supporters in Round 1 was an added bonus for Curnow, whose last two seasons of senior football came largely under Covid restrictions: it was the biggest crowd he played in front of since the season opener five years ago.

“It was great fun to be back out there with my teammates, my brother Charlie and the big Carlton crowd,” Curnow told Carlton Media.

“I feel really lucky to be a part of such an amazing group of players and coaches and support staff – we didn’t get the result tonight, but we’ve got a great strong group and we showed a lot of fight.”

The Round 1 clash ended with a draw, which was Carlton’s first since the final round of 2014: Curnow was joined by Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty as the three remaining Blues from that game.

Noting that while the group was disappointed, Curnow – who missed last year’s drought-breaking Round 1 win – said the growth in the side was evident since the last time he had pulled on the Navy Blue.

“[The draw] was strange – the last time I played, we were in a team where we couldn’t get the win in Round 1,” he said.

“We were close and I was flat, but I was really proud of the group for the way we fought it out.”

Curnow did his best to get his team across the line, picking up 14 disposals, laying four tackles and four score involvements – one of those landing in the lap of the reigning Coleman Medallist.

Ever humble, Curnow credited his younger brother Charlie with finishing the job in front of goal in the third term.

“It was great – I didn’t do much to be honest, I just bombed it as far as I could and Charlie does what Charlie does: he popped out of nowhere and took a great mark,” he said.

“He’s a great player and it’s great to be playing with him.”

Now Carlton faces a huge challenge against the reigning premiers in Geelong, gearing up for another Thursday night blockbuster at the MCG.

Curnow is sure the side can regroup this week and aim for a different outcome in their Round 2 clash – the Blues’ first home game of the season.

“I think we just have to recover well,” he said.

“We look at the areas of our game that we can improve on – I think we played into Richmond’s hands a little bit, their rebound style of game, so we need to look at that, then look to Geelong and go again.”