How a series of knee injuries failed to stop a three-time Coleman Medalist
In short: Between 2019 and 2021, Charlie Curnow's career was nearly derailed by a relentless cycle of knee injuries. From fractured patellas to multiple surgeries, the Carlton forward faced immense setbacks before re-emerging as one of the most dominant goal-kickers in the Australian Football League.
Charlie Curnow's ascent in the AFL was marked by both rapid brilliance and profound physical adversity. Selected by Carlton via the 12th pick during the 2015 national draft, he displayed early potential until a dislocated kneecap halted his debut year. After a breakout 2017 season, where he earned a Rising Star nomination, his momentum was halted by persistent issues with his right knee.
The period between 2019 and 2021 proved to be a grueling test of resilience. In 2019, medial ligament damage ended his season after just 11 games. In 2020, he sat out the whole season following various issues, such as a broken patella requiring several operations to place and extract screws and wires. Ongoing difficulties persisted through 2021, involving a hairline patellar stress response that restricted his comeback to just the season's concluding four matches.
Curnow's comeback in 2022 was nothing short of spectacular. He played every game of the season, finishing with 64 goals to claim his first Coleman Medal. He followed this with an even more dominant 2023, kicking 81 goals to secure back-to-back Coleman Medals and becoming the first Carlton player to kick double-digit goals in a single game since Stephen Kernahan in 1995. After 149 games and 313 goals for Carlton, Curnow moved to the Sydney Swans following the 2025 season.
This resilience has cemented his status as an elite forward. He has earned three All-Australian selections and was Carlton's leading goalkicker five times. His journey from a hobby farm in Bellbrae to the pinnacle of the AFL highlights a career defined by overcoming significant physical hurdles to achieve sustained excellence.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Charlie Curnow
- Also: Wikidata — Charlie Curnow · CC0
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