Amartey's reason for Blue move after Swans finals snub

One full season after the departure of Charlie Curnow, Carlton has landed its key forward replacement, signing Swan Joel Amartey to join the rank of former Blood-turned-Blue.

Out of contract at the Swans, the unrestricted free agent and Melbourne native took to the market having spent the first nine seasons of his AFL career in Sydney.

The Blues came knocking, offering a five-year deal to secure the services of a top key talent who – at the age of 27 – has the best years of his AFL career ahead of him.

A proven target inside 50, Amartey booted 28 goals in his 15 games this season, hampered by injuries that left him out of Sydney’s finals campaign.

Finally returning home to continue his senior career, the move hasn’t quite yet sunk in for the new Blue.

“I've made the drive down with all my stuff on Monday, but it still feels like the whole reality hasn't sunk in completely,” Amartey told SEN Mornings.

“I always come to Melbourne for my off season anyway, so it’s almost as if I'm just coming home for a visit, but I'm sure it'll sink in the coming weeks and I'm really excited for what this next season, this pre-season block has in store.”

Entering a new environment, Amartey is keen to get to work with his new teammates.

“I'm a pretty personal person so I like meeting new people and finding out new people and finding things in common with different people,” he said,

“There are so many obviously new faces I've never met before in the footy world at IKON Park so it should take me a while to learn all the names of players and the staffs and the coaches and that sort of stuff.

“The excitement around playing with some of my old mates as well as a new group and such a big club like Carlton is an exciting prospect for when we get some wins on the board in the next season.”

Amartey joins a long list of former Swans at Carlton, with George Hewett, Will Hayward, Ollie Florent and Nic Newman all previously featuring in the red and white.

Despite the presence of his former teammates at the club, Amartey isn’t willing to give them too much credit for his decision to shift.

“I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of saying they had any influence, but I think they'll create whatever they want to create in their own heads!” he said.

“They'll say they'll take the credit for me coming down, but (there were) a range of factors.

“The way Carlton finished off their season last year and the way Josh Fraser goes about his work I really admire so I'm keen to work closely with him.

“And obviously Will and Ollie but the whole forward group at Carlton and the whole list in general.”

Unfortunately for Amartey, a partial tear of his Achilles tendon suffered in Round 16 ruled him out for the remainder of the 2026 season.

However, the key forward was fit and firing ahead of Sydney’s Preliminary Final against Fremantle.

That said, coach Dean Cox opted against picking Amartey in the squad.

He insists that the non-selection was not a factor in moving clubs.

“It's obviously no one thing sort of sways you,” he said.

“They're all pieces of the puzzle that all go into the decision. But I guess I've been at Sydney for eight or nine years, the prospect of going to a new environment really excited me.

“I think it's probably made me a little bit hungry over the last few weeks to get back into footy and to enjoy training and that sort of stuff.

“I think the prospect of a new environment was something I was really craving after so many years in one place.

“I loved Sydney, loved all the staff and the players and coaches there, but the prospect of a fresh environment really appealed to me.

“I was coming off an injury towards the back end of the year, so it wasn't as straightforward as just not getting picked towards the end of the year.

“When you've been out for 14 weeks and you're trying to come back to play a final, it's pretty hard for the coaches to pick someone that has a bit of unknown about them having played for 14 or 15 weeks.

“It wasn't 100 per cent the full frustration of not getting picked. Obviously, as soon as you're healthy, you want to play; you don't want to miss finals, which I was obviously gutted about.

“But it was always a range of things over the last year that sort of led to this decision. It wasn't just a selection thing in the end. That's not the case.”

Heading into the new season, Amartey has played just eight times at the MCG.

Now, he faces the prospect of a sold out crowd in front of one of the league’s biggest fanbases.

“I couldn’t tell you how many games I've played at the MCG,” he said.

“The Sydney fans are so awesome and passionate themselves… the Carlton fans are a whole different ball game.

“It’s probably something you don't know until you experience it for the first time at the start of the next season. It's really exciting.

“I've been given a wave of support after my trade went through that I can see the magnitude of this football club and the passion the fans have.

“You can never be prepared for it until you're in it, but as long as you're having a crack and you're putting your body on the line for the club, I'm sure they'll support you through thick and thin.

“They ride with your emotions just as much as us players do, so that sort of connection I'm really looking forward to.”

Listen to Joel Amartey’s full interview with Adam White below: