Sydney 2026 Season Preview: The Curnow Effect

Sydney’s 2025 unravelled quickly once injuries stripped away their structure.

Errol Gulden, Logan McDonald and Callum Mills were all missing for significant periods. The Swans lost continuity, lost polish and lost their ability to control territory. What remained was effort without efficiency.

Now they respond with the boldest move of the off season.

Charlie Curnow arrives as the focal point Sydney did not have. The list still has premiership level talent. The question is whether the reset is immediate, or whether integrating a dominant key forward takes time.

It is about restoring identity.

Sydney at their best are clean in transition, precise inside 50 and disciplined behind the ball. Last year they were none of those things consistently. Injuries forced players into roles they were not meant to carry.

With health returning and Curnow installed deep forward, Sydney must look like a top four system again. Not moments. Not quarters. System.

The forward line becomes dangerous by default.

Curnow commands the best defender and secondary support. That immediately creates space for Logan McDonald, Hayden McLean or Joel Amartey depending on structure. It also improves the quality of looks for Tom Papley and the small forwards at ground level.

The other improvement is Gulden’s return to full fitness. His running power and delivery change the geometry of the ground. When he plays well, Sydney’s ball movement sharpens across the board.

There is a clear trap.

Sydney cannot become predictable by overusing Curnow. Carlton’s recent seasons showed what happens when ball movement turns into long, hopeful entries because the spearhead is elite.

If Sydney lower their eyes and make balanced decisions, they are difficult to defend. If they bomb it long and hope, strong intercept defences will hurt them badly.

There is also pressure on their secondary forwards. If McDonald does not take a step, or if the tall mix becomes crowded, cohesion suffers quickly.

Callum Mills is the stabiliser.

His role decides whether Sydney’s midfield is dynamic or chaotic. If Mills anchors stoppage work and allows Warner and Gulden to play to their strengths, Sydney control territory. If he is used as a patch in defence or elsewhere, the midfield loses balance.

The Swans do not need more flair. They need clarity. Mills provides that when fully fit.

If he stays healthy, Sydney’s contest work and defensive transition tighten considerably.

Sydney profile as a rebound contender.

Markets may factor in last season’s ladder finish more heavily than the context of injury. With Curnow added and Gulden fully fit, Sydney should improve their scoring floor and clearance output.

They shape as a team that can win well at home and against sides that lack defensive depth. Against elite intercept systems, margins may compress.

Monitor tall selection and Mills’ midfield role closely early in the season.

Sydney’s range sits between second and ninth.

Second is realistic if health holds and the forward structure clicks early. Ninth becomes possible if integration takes time or if injury continuity strikes again.

The list is too strong to drift far.

If the Swans look like themselves again, September will follow.