Sydney coach Dean Cox has heaped praise on recruit Charlie Curnow following his move from the Blues in the recent trade period.
Cox said Curnow had made an immediate impression since arriving at the club, both on and off the field.
“He's been great ever since he walked through the door,” Cox said.
“His work ethic and appetite to train... he's connected really well with every player since he's been here.”
Cox acknowledged that integrating a key forward of Curnow's calibre into Sydney's system was always going to take time, but said the early signs had been encouraging.
“He's building into the system and the way we want to play, that was always going to take time,” he said.
The Swans coach also highlighted the Coleman medallist's positive influence on Sydney's group of emerging forwards.
“He's been really good for Logan (McDonald), for Joel (Amartey), for Hayden (McLean), for Malcolm (Rosas), for Jesse Dattoli,” Cox said.
“It's about trying to complement each other at the right time.”
Meanwhile, Cox provided a positive update on star small forward Tom Papley, who has been hampered by a calf issue across the pre-season, first revealed by Zero Hanger.
“He's doing some decent running sessions and will join in some skill work next week,” Cox said.
“Now it's just about getting the volume we need into him.”
Cox confirmed Papley is expected to feature at some point during the Swans' match simulations and practice games before the home and away season begins.
“We've still got three intra-club matches and two against opposition, we expect him to be a part of some of them,” he said.
A fit and firing Tom Papley at the feet of Curnow is an exciting prospect for Swans fans, who were left disappointed in 2025 following a lacklustre 10th-place finish.
Cox also spoke on captain Callum Mills, who is closing in on a return from a hamstring setback. After featuring in the midfield at times in recent years, Cox expects Mills to take control of his backline.
“At the minute he'll be playing across half-back,” Cox said.
“He also has the ability to move up the ground if we need him.”
