Sydney star Tom Papley would be keen on his club trading for Charlie Curnow – but has rejected the idea of being part of a trade with Carlton for him.
Papley requested a move to the Blues in the 2019 trade period but the Swans held him to his contract, instead enjoying the small forward’s growth into a three-time club leading goalkicker and 2021 All-Australian.
His interest in a return to Victoria has seen him floated in trade conversations ever since, and now Seven reports Curnow’s management approached Papley’s people to see whether he’d be interested in being part of a trade.
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The talks speak to Curnow’s genuine interest in moving away from Carlton, with the star forward interested in clubs including Sydney, Geelong and Gold Coast for lifestyle reasons.
Recent reports suggest Curnow is willing to take a pay cut to leave and does not have a great relationship with Blues coach Michael Voss.
Papley is contracted until the end of 2028 and battled through an injury-ravaged 2025 campaign as his Swans fell from minor premiers to 10th.
He confirmed on his podcast, The Early Crow, he spoke to his manager about being linked to a Curnow trade.
“My manager rang me just to be wary if something comes out in the media that your name’s going to be thrown around for the Curnow stuff because of previous years,” Papley said.
“He was pretty clear that it’s not the club that wanted to do that, it’s solely on their management, and they’re looking for someone to trade for Curnow.
“And I was pretty stern with him and said, ‘Man, I’m pretty happy at the Swans. But I’m definitely not leaving if Curnow is coming.
“I’d love for it to happen. Everyone knows he wants to get out of there and wants to come to the Swans or Gold Coast or wherever. But we’re going to have to give up a fair bit and that comes with you’re going to lose a couple of mates, which is tough as well.
“So, it’s got to work for both parties, and I’m sure we’ll be trying to do anything that we can to get him.”
The Blues have been adamant they will not trade Curnow, a dual Coleman medallist who is contracted until the end of 2029.
“Our position is pretty clear. It’s been stated — I don’t even know publicly whether we’ve said anything — but he’ll be at Carlton in 2026,” Voss said on SEN this week.
“Those discussions — if there are any others — will continue behind closed doors.
“He’s a two-time Coleman medallist, it could have been three, who has four years to run on a contract. We feel like he’s an incredibly important person to us.
“He’ll figure for us moving forward and hopefully he’s playing out the rest of his career here.”
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