Sydney Swans players returned to one of their favourite Perth hangouts on Thursday, keeping a low profile on the coast ahead of their top-of-the-table clash with Fremantle. Charlie Curnow, Tom McCartin, Jai Serong, Isaac Heeney, and Angus Sheldrick were spotted at Cottesloe Beach for a morning stroll and coffee, with Sheldrick drafted from Perth.
Morning Chat with Local Instagram Star
Local resident Lynda Kenny-Cassell, who runs the viral Cottesloe Morning Report Instagram page, spoke to the players just hours before the highly anticipated encounter. Curnow noted there was “lots of seaweed around this morning” when asked about the beach. Before flying west, the star forward told afl.com.au he’s never far from the sea. “I always try to get to the ocean, touch some water in the morning, and go get a coffee,” he said.
Familiar Faces Return
McCartin had previously met Kenny-Cassell in April when the Swans played West Coast in round 4, featuring alongside James Rowbottom and captain Callum Mills. This time, the water was a bit fresher but hadn’t deterred them. “It’s beautiful, it’s a nice morning, a bit seaweedy but we’ll jump in soon,” McCartin said.
Rise of Cottesloe Morning Report
The Cottesloe Morning Report account has grown to more than 26,000 followers in less than 18 months since its launch in March 2025. By May 2026, Kenny-Cassell had completed more than 500 interviews. “It was a very funny moment!!! Tom couldn’t believe that I randomly bumped into them . . . again!! Gorgeous boys thanks for your time . . . enjoy tonight!” she captioned a post about the Swans.
Other notable figures featured on the page include Dockers ruckman Mason Cox, Wallabies player Jeremy Williams, Giants ruckman Kieren Briggs, and Carlton’s Sam Walsh and Ollie Florent. Kenny-Cassell told PerthNow, “I normally just speak to anyone I see who’s just got out of the water and ask them about the weather, the water conditions, what brought them down to the beach . . . and then it kind of just goes from there.”
Community Connection
Kenny-Cassell spent more than two decades serving locals alongside her husband Simon Cassell at the Cottesloe General Store. “There’s barely a person in the community I wouldn’t have met, I love them all, and we’ve become friends with everyone, which is so nice,” she said.
