"Don’t even try": Inside story of Curnow's bid to leave

• Curnow has not made a trade request
• Wants to move to Gold Coast
• Carlton insist he won't leave

Uncomfortable being in the spotlight is one aspect driving Charlie Curnow’s desire to leave Carlton for the Gold Coast, according to Tom Morris who has lifted the lid on what has been going on behind the scenes at the Blues.

While no official trade request has been made, Carlton has been forced to address the topic of a move with Curnow and his management on several occasions with the club adamant he will not be let go.

The dual Coleman medallist has reportedly held multiple meetings with senior officials at the club – including new CEO Graham Wright.

“It’s different to an official trade request,” Morris told SEN Breakfast. “I don’t think Charlie would do that unless he believed he could get out. Clearly that looks unlikely if not highly impossible.

“An official trade request is when if Curnow walked into Wright’s office and said ‘trade me at the end of the season’. That has not happened.

“Conversations with senior officials at the club during which he has said he would like to play for the Suns (have). It’s been communicated back to him - ‘don’t even try’.

“Carlton have been forced to shut it down to him directly and to his manager. That must be cause for some concern for supporters. At the very least their star is looking for a move and quite keen on it.

“He doesn’t like being in the spotlight in Melbourne in the football bubble. Gold Coast appeals to him as a city and a club.”

Despite the news, Carlton coach Michael Voss is adamant there is no chance of losing his man.

“It’s probably just that, it’s just speculation for us, Charlie is a Carlton man and he’ll stay a Carlton man,” he said on Wednesday morning.

“I’m not sure how much more emphatic I need to be on that, I appreciate these times of the year and when you’re not going so well there’s always be some speculation on your players.

“But it probably ends there for us … no (haven’t spoken to him) because again it’s just speculation.

“It’s very hard to operate on conversation or even answer something on hearsay … Charlie is a very important person to us and he’ll play out his career here – he’s a Carlton person and will stay one.”

NEVER SAY NEVER

All options remain on the table however as the footy world is no stranger to seeing players move clubs despite insistence that they will stay put.

Morris insists the fact Curnow has not made an official trade request is significant to the process.

“This is how it happens,” he said. “The nuance is important. (Christian) Petracca didn’t officially request a trade last year but wanted out and told the club that.

“Just as Gold Coast shut down Ablett and he moved a year early.

“Footballers can walk and chew gum at the same time. They can think about their future and play good footy at the same time. Tim Kelly wanted to go to West Coast. Petracca has played good football this year even though he wanted to go.”

In terms of whether the move could actually materialise, Morris was less optimistic given the changes that would have to be made in Queensland on top of the fact Carlton has made its position clear.

“I don’t think anything is ever completely shut. The Blues are adamant they won’t be trading Curnow next year, but we’ve heard that before.

“The Gold Coast haven’t chased him and fair to say there would be no room for him unless they off load their key forwards and they have no appetite for that.”