Former Blue Ed Curnow tips injured brother Charlie to be firing for start of 2025 season

Former Carlton midfielder Ed Curnow expects his superstar brother Charlie to enjoy a strong 2025 campaign despite undergoing knee surgery in December.

While the 27-year-old is expected to integrate back into training well before the season kicks off, he’ll need to do some work to catch up to his teammates having also undergone ankle surgery at the end of the 2024 season.

Despite those concerns, Ed Curnow is sure his brother will be up and firing once the season rolls around and he thinks that the Blues can win it all after playing finals in both of the last two campaigns.

“I’d love to see the Blues win it,” Curnow told SEN Afternoons.

“I think they’ve got the team to do it, but they’ve got to get everyone on the park and show they can play that team footy which they’ve shown they can do over the last couple of years at stages.

“With Charlie, he’s gone hard for three years and in some years before that he had his knee issues.

“He’s got a bit of catch-up work to do after having surgery but he’s got strong support around him.

“He’ll be up and firing in no time, they’ll just have to manage him because when he goes he goes hard.”

While Curnow has returned to the club after Christmas as part of the rehab group, Ed thinks that he can put a full season together and even hopes that he can win a third Coleman Medal in four years if things go well.

“He’s in the rehab group, which is not what we want to hear as Carlton supporters,” Curnow said.

“But as I said, he’s managing what has been a pretty tough career for him so far because he had his knee problems and then three pretty awesome years.

“I think the club can manage him well and he’ll be firing from the start of the season.

“All my kids were disappointed he didn’t win the Coleman last year and to win it he’ll probably need 70 I reckon, so let’s hope he gets that.”

Carlton opens up their 2025 season with a Round 1 clash against traditional rivals Richmond at the MCG on Thursday, March 13.