'Not pumped': Charlie Curnow admits criticism of him is 'valid' after slow start as a Swan

Charlie Curnow admits the harsh criticism he has received for his opening three performances as a Swan are "valid", as he looks to make an impact at his new club.

The 29-year-old's move to Sydney was one of the most shocking trades in the game's history, with the club giving up three first-round picks, Will Hayward and effectively Ollie Florent to bring in the spearhead.

They've gone all in on Curnow as the final piece of their premiership puzzle, after being thrashed in the 2022 and 2024 grand finals.

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Curnow kicked three goals against his old side Carlton in Opening Round, cashing in late as the game broke open, but was otherwise quiet.

He was then held goalless in the side's win over Brisbane, and had just one disposal after half-time in the loss to Hawthorn.

In the aftermath of the loss, Essendon goal-kicking legend Matthew Lloyd said Curnow was not living up to expectations as a Swan.

"I haven't seen Charlie take a strong mark in a Sydney Swans jumper yet," Lloyd told 3AW after the game.

"He's been disappointing. He wouldn't even be in the top 200-300 the first three rounds. He's been disappointing.

"I'm just being a realist. From what I've seen, you see the way Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton fly for marks, he doesn't have the capacity to do that.

"I thought with Errol Gulden, Chad Warner and Isaac Heeney and the supply he would get ... He played like a small forward (against Hawthorn). I'm pretty disappointed in what I've seen so far."

When asked about that feedback, Curnow said it was tough to hear but admitted he needed to play better.

"I'm not exactly pumped (with my performances so far). I want to grow in my game still and move a lot from here," the dual Coleman medallist told Nine's Wide World of Sports.

"I'm looking at what's real from my game and of course I'd like to take a few more big marks.

"I feel like my foundation is great. I feel awesome about the way I'm attacking it. I think I've started a few games well and now it's about putting four quarters together, as cliché and boring as it sounds.

"I'm enjoying the high-paced game the Swans are playing. I feel like once we all put it together as a group it's going to be really exciting footy.

"(The criticism) is probably pretty valid right now, yeah."

Tune into Wide World of Sports from 10am AEDT on Sunday to catch the full sit down interview with Charlie Curnow

Curnow's move out of Carlton seemingly came out of nowhere in late-2025.

Drafted by the club in 2015, the Blues stood by the key forward as he missed multiple seasons dealing with complex knee injuries.

He then found his footing across 2022 and 2023, winning back-to-back Coleman Medals and making both All-Australian teams.

Curnow said the decision to leave Carlton came together quickly, admitting he was keen on a fresh start.

"I just felt like I needed a change. I was there for 10 years. To be honest, I gave it a fair crack and I really enjoyed my time there," Curnow said.

"To be able to have a club interested in making a move ... Being on the back end of my career, I know I've got a lot of good footy ahead of me, but being in the back end of the career, making a move now felt right and gives me time to make something cool here.

"Unfortunately I had to make a pretty quick decision and move on, which was probably what led me to think it was the right time to make a change.

"When all is said and done, I think Carlton got a really good (deal), got some good players back. I think it's come out positive (for both clubs)."

The fact the Swans had to give up three first-round picks to get him was one thing, but Florent and Hayward were also moved on as part of the trade and for salary cap purposes, something that would have been hard for the locker room to accept initially.

It was one of the biggest trade packages in AFL history, which Curnow says added extra pressure for him to hit the ground running in Sydney.

"I think it gives you a nice little kick up the backside to hit pre-season. For me personally, I just want to give the Swans all I've got," he said.

"They've put a lot on the table for me, so I want to give that back. That's a work in progress, but I guess it adds a little bit of pressure. It's a nice pressure to get you going.

"In the end, we want to get that ultimate success and I want to enjoy that with my new teammates here. That's kind of at the back of your mind all the time."

Curnow will have to wait for round four to bounce back, with the Swans on their bye week. They head west to take on the Eagles at Optus Stadium on April 4.