Cox tight-lipped on Curnow meeting, Papley keen on Blues star

Both Carlton and Sydney are denying any trade talk on key dual Coleman medalist, yet the whispers won't go away

Charlie Curnow during a Carlton training session at Unley Oval, June 25, 2025. Picture: Getty Images

SYDNEY coach Dean Cox has sidestepped questions about a reported meeting with Carlton star Charlie Curnow, but says the Swans are looking to improve their list in the upcoming trade period.

Despite Carlton insisting Curnow will be at the club next year, the key forward is open to a trade and the Swans, Geelong and Gold Coast have all made enquiries about the contracted star.

Reports emerged this week that Cox met with Curnow before the forward left for his off-season trip, but the Swans coach would not be drawn on those reports on Thursday.

"I won't talk about anything that does or doesn't happen ... I've always thought if you do have meetings or you don't, everything is done behind closed doors and that's the way we'll keep it," Cox told SEN.

"Any player who is out of contract or is open to a trade, we have to improve our list.

Charlie Curnow during the round 11 match between Carlton and Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium, May 24, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

"No matter who it is, we have to scour the competition about players we think could benefit our football club. And then there's the logistics with that; is it attainable through trade or draft, and what we have to do with that process. There's a lot of work with a lot of hypotheticals.

"(With any player) we've got to make sure that it's the right thing for our footy club, what we do with the list demographic but also what it costs to get players in."

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On Wednesday, Swans forward Tom Papley, who has been floated speculatively as part of a possible trade to bring Curnow to Sydney, re-iterated that he wants to stay in Sydney.

The small forward had come close to joining the Blues in 2019, but a deal could not be agreed to.

Papley said he would love Curnow to come to the Swans and while he conceded a deal would likely mean some key players would depart the club, he would not be one of them.

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"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 on his Early Crow podcast.

"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."

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Curnow told Carlton at his post-season exit meeting that he was open to a move, if one could be facilitated, but Blues coach Michael Voss expects his forward to remain at the club.

"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.

"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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