‘This side’s looking pretty good’: Dimma responds to link in bombshell Curnow trade report

'We're looking to improve our list' | 00:39

Suns coach Damien Hardwick has addressed the recent bombshell report linking his club to Carlton’s Charlie Curnow, saying the Gold Coast lifestyle and the team’s promising direction will only continue to attract players.

On Tuesday night, Nine’s Tom Morris revealed that Curnow had ‘expressed his openness’ to a move north, away from the struggling Blues and the uncompromising Melbourne “bubble”.

“Charlie Curnow would like to play for the Gold Coast Suns. This is based around lifestyle, living in Melbourne and the football bubble — getting out of the spotlight here in Melbourne,” Morris told 9News.

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Fronting the media on Thursday, Hardwick — removing Curnow’s name from the conversation — talked up the Queensland lifestyle and said rival players’ interest would be piqued by the Suns’ “emerging” side.

“I think this time of year (you) can understand there’s names being bandied around and all that sort of stuff,” Hardwick told reporters at his weekly press conference on Thursday.

“And we’re like any other club; we’re trying to improve our list and what that looks like. Look, taking the Curnow name out of it, what I do know is people will start to look at Gold Coast as an unbelievable lifestyle up here. Trust me, I know; I live it.

“But more importantly, they’re looking at the emerging side that we’ve got, and they’re thinking: ‘This side’s looking pretty good’.

“So, we can understand people hopefully want to come here and want to join on this journey, and as we said last year, we’re looking to bring the very best players to our footy club.”

Despite a hiccup at Adelaide Oval last Sunday, Gold Coast is charging to a maiden finals berth under second-year coach Hardwick, having also locked up in-demand midfielder Matt Rowell for another two years.

Curnow is contracted at Carlton through the 2029 season, with Morris also reporting the Blues had expressed to the 28-year-old’s camp ‘on more than one occasion’ he wasn’t for sale.

Gold Coast does currently wield three top-20 picks, though it is expected to stockpile capital in order to match early draft bids for club-tied prospects Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson.

Further to the Suns, Sydney and Geelong have also been named as potential suitors for the dual Coleman medallist.

Curnow has kicked 30 goals across 17 games this year; on track to be his shallowest return since 2021, when he played just four games for the season.

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