The quote you might have missed that says everything about Carlton’s post-Curnow era

Club media releases rarely make for insightful reading, but one particularly pointed comment in Carlton’s trade period wrap was a notable exception.

Charlie Curnow’s first mention was not until the third line, and list boss Nick Austin later thanked the dual Coleman medallist – who was contracted until the end of 2029 before forcing his way out – for his decade-long contributions, including 234 goals across the past four seasons.

The Blues trumped the Giants’ record haul for Jeremy Cameron in the blockbuster Curnow deal, convincing Sydney to hand over three first-round picks and forward Will Hayward.

Carlton told us they wanted more elite young talent, plan to be faster and bolder and expect different results with the same approach would not work. The evolving Blues also slipped in the following, thinly veiled line.

“We want players who want to, and appreciate what it means to, represent the Carlton Football Club,” Austin said.

Joining Curnow elsewhere next year are Tom De Koning and Jack Silvagni – who both accepted above-market free agency deals to join cash-splashing St Kilda – and Corey Durdin, who the Blues traded to Port Adelaide.

Carlton’s other recruits, beyond Hayward and all those draft picks, are Ben Ainsworth (Gold Coast), Campbell Chesser (West Coast), Ollie Florent (Sydney) and Liam Reidy (Fremantle).

Three of the four were originally first-round draftees, while ruckman Reidy was stuck behind Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy, but showed promise in the WAFL and in limited AFL appearances.

Only 16 of the 23 Blues who played in the 2023 preliminary final loss to Brisbane are still on the list. Mitch McGovern is one of those, and remains without a deal for next season.

Carlton cannot be clearer that this is a new era, even with new CEO Graham Wright deciding against sacking coach Michael Voss and instead letting him fight for his job in the final year of his contract in 2026. But more on Voss shortly.

Curnow’s exit will leave a heavy burden in attack for 2021 Coleman medallist Harry McKay, but he has handled that responsibility admirably in the past.

There are still some seriously good footballers at Ikon Park, from McKay to captain and dual Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps, impending free agent Sam Walsh, All-Australian defender Jacob Weitering, 2025 club champion George Hewett and fellow midfielder Adam Cerra.

This is partly why Austin used the word “refresh” rather than reset. They expect all the recruits to make an instant impact.

Prized onballer Jagga Smith, who missed his debut season recovering from an ACL rupture, should make an impression next year, too, after being the No.3 pick in last year’s bumper draft.

Incoming father-son defender Harry Dean looks an outstanding prospect and may attract a top-three bid next month, while Cody Walker – son of ex-Blue Andrew – has already committed more than a year out from being eligible to be a father-son selection.

Walker, a silky midfielder, is unlikely to fall outside the top two of the 2026 draft after opting not to join Richmond from their next-generation academy.

A club once bereft of high-end young talent will suddenly be loaded in the years ahead.

Carlton are the sole club to hold six first-round picks across the next three drafts, but where they finish on the ladder and new league rules on matching bids – still being finalised but set to come in for 2026 – could impact their selections.

One proposal would mean clubs could use no more than two picks to match a bid, so the days of bundling selections in the 30s and 40s are almost certainly numbered.

There will be pressure on Austin, recruiting manager Michael Agresta and fellow scouts to find a new batch of stars – beyond just Dean and Walker – with those early picks.

But no one has more pressure on them than Voss, who conceded in an impassioned speech at the club’s best-and-fairest function that he “fell short” as a leader this year.

Is the bar of expectation, at least in the short term, lower without Curnow?

Are wins, losses and ladder finish the determining factors in whether Voss scores another contract, or is Wright simply looking for “green shoots”, as ex-Blues coach Brendon Bolton used to talk about ad nauseam?

A new era, sans Curnow and his bicycle, is upon Carlton. Now, everyone waits to see if this one will be any different than the past three decades.

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