FRESH off clinching his third Coleman Medal, Sydney spearhead Charlie Curnow was quick to shift the spotlight back to his teammates, acknowledging just how unpredictable individual glory can be in footy.

Speaking after Sydney's emphatic 53-point win over North Melbourne – and before Hawthorn's clash with West Coast, where a heroic haul from Jack Gunston or Nick Watson could still have tipped the scales – Curnow noted how quickly the race for the medal can turn.

"I've seen a lot of strange things with Coleman Medals," he said.

"It's obviously great to get it done, and thanks to the boys for kicking it down to me all year."

The 29-year-old entered the final round of the home and away season with an eight-goal lead and finished top of the League's goalkicking leaderboard with 69 majors, after booting three on Sunday evening.

He finished ahead of Brisbane young gun Logan Morris (63 goals), who slammed through eight against Collingwood on Friday night. Gold Coast's Ben King (60), Hawthorn's Gunston (59), and Fremantle's Jye Amiss (58) rounded out the top five.

This latest tally adds to the back-to-back Colemans Curnow won with Carlton in 2022 and 2023 with 64 and 81 goals, respectively – with his first in Sydney colours making him the first player since Lance Franklin in 2014 to claim the honour in his debut season at a new club. 

The Swans are navigating major turmoil after five players – Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon, and Chad Warner – were suspended for the rest of the season after an alleged incident in Melbourne which is the subject of a police investigation.

The players were suspended for breaching club standards, with the club sanctions separate from the ongoing Victoria Police investigation.

Asked where this award ranked compared to his previous two, Curnow admitted the club's tumultuous week meant he had not given it much thought.

"Oh, gee, I actually don't know. I normally would think about it a lot, but this week's been a bit of a different one," Curnow said.

"I haven't really thought about it for a lot of time, but they're all special, and it was a special game today. I can't really rank them."

Players and staff were visibly emotional post-game in light of the week's events.

"You can see the smiles on the boys' faces that we got that done," Curnow said.

"It's obviously been a huge week, and I'm just proud of our leaders at the football club. I look around, and you've got 'Coxy' (coach Dean Cox) at the front, 'Millsy' (captain Callum Mills), (captain) Lucy McEvoy from the women's team – they really led the way for us. … I pretty much just followed them."

Gesturing to veteran Dane Rampe, Curnow added: "This club means so much to those boys, and hopefully we showed Bloods fans today that there is something to come back for in two weeks."

Reflecting on Sunday's historic double-header alongside Sydney's AFLW side, Curnow described the atmosphere as unlike anything he has experienced on a footy field, highlighting a powerful sense of unity across the entire club.

"I haven't done too many laps of the ground like that before, and I just want to shout out to all the Bloods fans out there. I really felt special this week," Curnow said.

"The AFLW team really got around us, and we've got a lot of thanks for them. We had a few circles this week – I don't reckon I've circled up as much as a football club in my life ... I'm just honoured to be here and be a part of it."

Looking ahead to Saturday, September 5, when Sydney will host Brisbane at the SCG in a qualifying final, Curnow praised the group's resilience and celebrated the team's top-two finish.

"We've just got a lot of heart, and we want to put all our eyes onto that first final," he said.

"It's so special to show up in front of your home crowd. If we play the right way, we can do anything, and that's all leading up to that game.

"Once again, I'm going to follow Callum Mills, I'm going to follow Dean Cox, and 'Mr Chadwick' (Sydney media manager Tom Chadwick) is here – I'm going to follow him too. It's going to be a great game and a good spectacle for the AFL.

"I've never been second on the ladder before to finish the home and away season, so that's special. I can't wait to do it with all these guys. So, lots to come."

Following Curnow's high-profile trade from Carlton to Sydney last October, he faced immense scrutiny surrounding his start to life as a Swan.

Probed whether winning a third Coleman silences the critics or offers a sense of validation, Curnow insisted he refuses to let individual success lead to complacency.

"I don't think anything is ever enough," he said,

"The game's got a good way of bringing you back to level. All my focus will be on that first final and playing a style that gets around my teammates. You know, they've supported me so much this year from when I first walked through the doors in November and came back with the young boys. They gave me a lot of energy, a lot of buzz."