Sydney’s star recruit Charlie Curnow delivered a dominant performance as the Swans overwhelmed the Western Bulldogs in round seven of the 2026 AFL premiership season.
Curnow kicked seven goals at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on Thursday night, leading Sydney to a commanding 18.18 (126) to 9.6 (60) victory over an undermanned Bulldogs side.
The Swans’ forward line feasted on the Dogs’ depleted defence, with Curnow and Joel Amartey combining for 10 of Sydney’s 18 goals. Curnow caught fire in the second quarter with a super three-goal term that helped shift the momentum decisively in Sydney’s favour.
The Bulldogs suffered another blow when key forward Aaron Naughton was stretchered off after a sickening fall attempting a high mark deep in the forward line. Naughton landed on his head and was treated by medical staff, though the club later stated initial examination indicated he had avoided any serious injury and would be reassessed over the coming days.
The loss compounded a hard week for Western Bulldogs, who had already lost Sam Darcy to a season-ending knee injury and were missing key defenders James O’Donnell and Rory Lobb due to lengthy injury lists. The Dogs finished the game with young players Louis Emmett and Will Lewis deep in attack, but were no match after half-time as Sydney extended their lead to 66 points.
Despite sitting atop the ladder just over a fortnight ago, the Bulldogs have now lost their past three games by a combined total of 181 points. The defeat came on the night they celebrated the 10-year reunion of their fairytale 2016 premiership team.
For Charlie Curnow, the performance marked another strong outing since joining the Sydney Swans at the end of the 2025 season. The former Carlton key forward has quickly develop into a vital asset for Sydney, continuing the form that saw him win back-to-back Coleman Medals in 2022 and 2023.
