Goal tops off Curnow’s 200-game milestone celebrations

ANOTHER Surf Coast product in the AFL achieved a lofty milestone this past weekend, when Carlton Blues midfielder Ed Curnow ran out onto the football field for his 200th career game on Saturday afternoon.

The 31-year-old was overwhelmed with messages of congratulations sent to him before and after the game by close friends and family, despite Curnow’s Blues falling to the lowly North Melbourne Kangaroos 77-116 at a spectator-less Marvel Stadium.

“It was really humbling to get a lot of those messages during the week and after the game,” Curnow said.

“It was just really, really nice and it will certainly be something that I will cherish once my career is done.”

Curnow had a solid outing on the day accumulating 20 disposals off of 12 kicks and eight handballs, as well as grabbing six marks and laying down a pair of tackles.

However, the day was soured due the disappointing outcome for the team in a game many pundits had them pegged to win.

“It was a disappointing day given that we did not get the win and I think we have a had a good last six or seven weeks, but yeah it was nice to be able to speak to family,” Curnow said.

The 200-gamer capped off his efforts with one of his more memorable career goals, snatching the ball from teammate Zac Fisher to dribble home a spectacular kick in what was a definite highlight on the day.

“It was good fun to celebrate the goal in a milestone match,” he said.

“[Brother] Charlie was there at half-time to give me a high-five for that one, and hopefully we will get him back next week.”

Curnow grew up in Bellbrae and began playing football at the Torquay Tigers Football Club before making the switch to the Modewarre Warriors at the Under 15 level, where he most credited his progression and love for the game.

“Modewarre was the club that gave me the opportunity to really push through to the Falcons, and it was from there that I really got the chance to grow,” Curnow said.

Developing through Modewarre and playing football for The Geelong College in the Associated Public Schools competition, Curnow made the next step to the Geelong Falcons up until 2007.

The Blues’ talisman would not start an AFL game until 2011, despite being selected to the Adelaide Crows in the 2008 Rookie Draft.

Curnow impressed in his 2009 and 2010 VFL seasons at the Box Hill Hawks, earning him a Round 1 debut for the Blues and kick-starting the durable career that has led up to last weekend.

While the Blues maintain a mathematical possibility of making the top eight, Curnow knows he and his side have further work to do in the coming weeks – particularly on the defensive side.

Ed, his wife Emily and their two children Will and Alice, try to visit the Surf Coast as often as they can and are currently building a new family home in the Bells Beach area.