Blues belief for brotherly reunion

Carlton veteran Ed Curnow believes if you don’t have hope “you’ve got nothing”.

He was talking about the prospect of a late season charge to make the finals but as he prepares for his 200th game, he could equally have been referring to the chances of his brother Charlie joining him on the field this Saturday.

The injury-plagued younger Curnow played his first game in two years in a scratch-match last weekend, after the VFL was cancelled, and immediately called Blues coach David Teague to let him know he pulled up well enough to be part of his brother’s milestone match.

Carlton plays North Melbourne and while it may be a bridge too far for Charlie to make the leap back in to the AFL, Ed, 31, is feeding off his little brother’s energy as he looks to his own achievement.

“He looked great on the weekend. He is moving really well. He has now done a good six weeks’ training with the group,” Ed Curnow said on Tuesday.

“I don’t think he is going to quite make it for my game this weekend. I think he might be one more off but I saw him before, and he was trying to convince the coaches he was ready to go.

“We certainly need him out there, an extra tall in the forward line to help Jack (Silvagni) and Harry (McKay). It’s exciting we will be playing again together.

“When he got drafted to the club in 2015, I thought we would have played in a lot more footy but, as it has turned out, I kind of had that weird injury with the voice box (in 2017) … and then he has had the two-and-a-half years out with the knee.

“He looks fit, he looks great, I am excited for him. He nearly took a big hanger on the weekend, too, and landed on his feet, which will make everyone happy.”

Charlie Curnow has told Carlton's coaches he wants to return for his brother’s 200th match on Saturday, against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium, but Ed Curnow says his brother more realistically to make a senior return in round 20.

Teague said on Fox Footy on Monday that Charlie had already rung him to let him know he had pulled up well but the coach couldn’t confirm when he might make a senior return.

Charlie, who is 22, has only played 58 games to his brother’s 199, but Ed said getting as far as he had was in part due to the belief his little brother helped instil in him. a particular round for his senior return.

“I think he’s helped my footy a lot, because he’s a gun, and he’s a great presence and energy to be around and he has so much belief in his ability and that hasn’t gone away,” Ed said.

“That’s really helped my footy. I was someone that was always trying to prove people wrong and come back from basically being delisted (by Adelaide), you are always trying to build yourself up, and tell yourself you are good enough.

“Charlie is a great person to have around when you are like that.”

Someone who has gotten everything out of himself since the day he walked in, and he has not changed one bit.

A true Blue if ever there was one, Ed Curnow will run out for game No.200 this Saturday. Here's what he had to say ahead of his milestone.

Carlton has to win the final five matches, and rely on other results, to make what would be an unlikely finals appearance.

“If you don’t have hope, you have nothing. We feel like we have that crack – who knows what can happen,” Curnow said.

“Even if we play really strong footy, and do drop one or two, it’s going to put us into a pretty good spot to bounce into next year.

“If we get Charlie back in, who knows?”

Co-captain Patrick Cripps will need to prove his fitness this week after missing last week’s win over Collingwood.

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