CHARLIE Curnow is no stranger to winning Coleman Medals, but he's never won one like this.

When compared with his League-leading seasons with Carlton in 2022 and 2023, Curnow has been deployed in a deeper forward role at Sydney – and it's paid off in spades.

He's delivered the most dominant one-on-one season of his career, while generating a career-high number of shots at goal per game, and matching his peak average goals per game from 2023.

This tactical shift saw Curnow storm to his third Coleman Medal with a 69-goal debut season in red and white, making him the first player since Lance Franklin (at Sydney, again) in 2014 to top the leaderboard in his first year at a new club.

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It's the latest high mark in a storied career for the key forward. After missing almost two full seasons between mid-2019 and mid-2021 with a series of severe right knee injuries, Curnow made a breakout return in 2022. Alongside fellow tall Harry McKay at Carlton, he used his high workrate up the ground and strong contested marking down the line (5.7 marks per game) to claim his first Coleman Medal with 64 goals.

The following year, he reached peak dominance as the premier key forward in the competition, recording career-high averages of 13.7 disposals and 6.9 marks per game while compiling a massive 81-goal tally to secure back-to-back Coleman Medals, highlighted by a 10-goal performance against West Coast in round 19.

Following a dip in volume across 2024 and 2025, Curnow's rapid adaptation to his new environment produced one of the most successful first seasons at a new club in recent memory.

The 29-year-old's tally of 69 goals across 22 games matched his peak 2023 average of 3.1 goals per outing. His home-and-away campaign was headlined by an eight-goal masterclass against Richmond in round 12 and capped by a third All-Australian selection.

While his overall disposals (11.4) and total marks (4.7) fell compared to 2023, his efficiency reached new heights. Averaging a career-best 5.5 shots at goal per game, Curnow lifted his overall accuracy to 57.5 per cent, a solid rebound from 2022 (54.7 per cent), though still short of his elite 2023 peak (60.4 per cent).

That accuracy was driven by exceptional aerial strength, with Curnow producing his most commanding one-on-one campaign, with a career-high 39.1 per cent one-on-one win rate and a minimal 19.6 per cent loss rate (down from 24 per cent in 2022).

The clear shift in Curnow's role was reflected in his relative lack of movement further up the ground. His uncontested marks dropped to 2.7 per game (down from 4.6 in 2023), while his metres gained per disposal fell to 19 metres (down from 25.8 metres in 2022). As a result, his total metres gained fell sharply to 4779 in 2026, well down on 8939 in 2023 and 6821 in 2022.

Curnow won the footy in slightly different ways, taking 1.4 lead marks per game (down from 1.9 in 2022 and 1.5 in 2023), though his groundball gets inside 50 held steady at 1.6 per game (compared to 1.8 in 2022 and 1.5 in 2023).

Yet, the narrower remit for Sydney's star forward recruit streamlined the Swans' attack. Sydney's inside-50 retention rate with Curnow hit a high of 46 per cent, even as his overall score involvement dropped to 23 per cent (down from 32.9 per cent in 2023) and the team's inside-50 score percentage fell to 41.2 per cent (down from 49.4 per cent in 2023).

Comparing these three peak campaigns highlights Curnow's shift from an all-ground accumulator to an efficient, finishing-focused strike target inside 50.

Now preparing for the first qualifying final of his career, Curnow's impact has resonated right across the club.

Speaking after Sydney's 53-point win over North Melbourne in round 23, coach Dean Cox praised Curnow's influence, emphasising that his value extended far beyond his goal-kicking.

"He's made our football club a better club," Cox said.

"He probably exceeded some of the expectations. There wasn't a lot of pressure on him at the start. He knew he wanted to play well, and to see him work into form and make players around him better footballers has been important.

"I couldn't speak highly enough of him. You saw him halfway through the middle of the ground chasing, so it's not just about goals for Charlie. He's in a really good frame of mind that he needs to contribute for our team to play well."