Carlton Football Club facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carlton Football Club
Names
Full name	Carlton Football Club Limited
Nickname(s)	Blues Blue Baggers Baggers Old Navy Blues
Motto	Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body)
2024 season
After finals	8th
Home-and-away season	8th
Leading goalkicker	Charlie Curnow (57 goals)
Club details
Founded	1864; 161 years ago (1864)
Colours	Navy blue, white
Competition	AFL: Senior men AFLW: Senior women VFL: Reserves men VFLW: Reserves women
President	Luke Sayers
CEO	Brian Cook
Coach	AFL: Michael Voss AFLW: Mathew Buck
Captain(s)	AFL: Patrick Cripps AFLW: Kerryn Peterson
Premierships	VFL/AFL (16) 1906 1907 1908 1914 1915 1938 1945 1947 1968 1970 1972 1979 1981 1982 1987 1995 VFA (2) 1877 1887 Victorian (4) 1871 1873 1874 1875
Ground(s)	AFL: Marvel Stadium (56,347) & Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,024) AFLW & VFL & VFLW: Ikon Park (12,000)
Former ground(s)	Princes Park (1897–2005)
Training ground(s)	Princes Park (Ikon Park)
Uniforms
Home Away Clash
Other information
Official website	carltonfc.com.au
Current season

The Carlton Football Club, also known as the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football team. They are based at Princes Park in Carlton North, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), which is the top competition for the sport.

Carlton was started in 1864 and quickly became one of the biggest football clubs in Melbourne. They were a founding member of the Victorian Football Association (VFA) and won their first championship in 1877. In 1896, Carlton joined the new Victorian Football League (now called the AFL). They are known as one of the league's "Big Four" clubs. Carlton has won sixteen VFL/AFL premierships, which is tied with Collingwood and Essendon for the most by any AFL club. The club also has an AFL Women's team, which started playing in 2017.

Today, Carlton plays its home games at Docklands Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Princes Park is the club's traditional home ground and is where the women's team plays. Carlton also has reserve teams in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and VFL Women's.

Club History

Early Days

George Coulthard, an early star player for Carlton.

The exact date Carlton Football Club was formed isn't known, but it's generally agreed to be July 1864. The club started playing in Princes Park as early as 1865. In 1866, they began playing under the Victorian rules, after using their own rules before that.

In its early years, Carlton became very strong and gained many supporters. They had a big rivalry with the Melbourne Football Club. In 1877, Carlton was one of the first clubs to join the Victorian Football Association. They easily won the championship in the first season of this competition.

One of Carlton's first superstar players was George Coulthard. He played for Carlton from 1876 to 1882 and was called "The grandest player of the day." Sadly, he passed away at just 27 years old in 1883.

Carlton's team that won the VFA championship in 1887.

The club won another VFA championship in 1887. However, in the 1890s, Carlton became one of the weaker clubs. Despite this, they were invited to join the new Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1897. Carlton struggled in their first few VFL seasons, finishing near the bottom.

Jack Worrall and Early Success (1902-1916)

Carlton's performance got much better in 1902. They hired Jack Worrall, a respected former player and cricketer, as their secretary. Worrall gradually took charge of managing the players, becoming the VFL's first official coach. Under his leadership, Carlton reached the finals for the first time in 1903.

The 1906 VFL championship flag being raised at Carlton Oval.

Carlton became a very strong team and won their first three VFL premierships in a row: 1906, 1907, and 1908. They were the first VFL club to win three championships in a row. Their record of 19 wins and 1 loss in 1908 was a record for over ninety years!

After these wins, the club faced some challenges. Some players were unhappy with their pay and tough training. Worrall left the club, and some players who supported him also left. In 1910, two players were suspended for 99 matches due to serious rule breaking. Despite these issues, Carlton still played well, reaching the Grand Finals in 1909 and 1910, but losing both.

The 1914 Carlton team.

Carlton missed the finals in 1913 but came back strong in 1914. Under coach Norm Clark, they won back-to-back premierships in 1914 and 1915 VFL season. Even during World War I, Carlton continued to compete. Between 1904 and 1916, Carlton won five premierships and played in nine Grand Finals, making it one of their most successful periods.

Between the Wars (1920s-1930s)

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Carlton remained a strong team, often reaching the finals. However, they didn't win many championships during this time. They had a 23-year drought without a premiership, which was the second longest in the club's history. This drought ended in 1938 when Brighton Diggins became their captain-coach, leading them to their sixth VFL premiership.

Two of Carlton's greatest goalkickers played during this period: Horrie Clover in the 1920s and Harry "Soapy" Vallence in the 1930s. Both set new club records for career goals.

Post-War Era (1941-1964)

Bob Chitty led Carlton to victory in the famous 1945 "Bloodbath" Grand Final.

The VFL continued playing during World War II. After Diggins retired, Percy Bentley coached Carlton for fifteen seasons. Carlton won the premiership in 1945, a month after the war ended. They had an amazing season, coming from a tough start to win the "Bloodbath" Grand Final against South Melbourne. This game was known for being very rough and physical.

Carlton played in two more Grand Finals in the 1940s against Essendon, winning in 1947 by one point and losing in 1949. After this, Carlton had a weaker period, reaching the finals only four times between 1950 and 1964. The 1964 season was their worst VFL season up to that point.

The Ron Barassi Era (1965-1973)

A change in club president in 1964 marked the start of Carlton's most successful time. From 1967 to 1988, Carlton rarely missed the finals, played in ten Grand Finals, and won seven premierships!

This success began when George Harris became president and signed Ron Barassi as coach in 1965. Barassi was a legend from Melbourne Football Club, having won six premierships as a player. His move to Carlton was one of the biggest player transfers ever.

Under Barassi, Carlton reached three Grand Finals in a row (1968-1970), winning two premierships: 1968 against Essendon and 1970 against their big rivals, Collingwood. The 1970 Grand Final is one of the most famous games in football history. A record crowd of 121,696 watched Collingwood lead by a lot at half-time. But Carlton made an incredible comeback, kicking seven goals in fifteen minutes to win by ten points! Carlton also won its first two Championship of Australia titles in 1968 and 1970.

Carlton missed the finals in 1971, and Barassi left. But they quickly returned to success, playing in back-to-back Grand Finals in 1972 and 1973 against Richmond. They won a high-scoring game in 1972 and lost a tough game in 1973.

Key players from this era included John Nicholls, who captained all three premierships. He was a fantastic ruckman and forward. Other important players were Sergio Silvagni, Adrian Gallagher, Robert Walls, and Percy Jones. In 1970, Alex Jesaulenko became the first Carlton forward to kick 100 goals in a season.

More Premierships (1975-1982)

Carlton continued to play in finals through the 1970s but didn't win another premiership until 1979. They had several coaches during this time. In 1979, they defeated Collingwood by five points in a very close Grand Final. This game is remembered for Wayne Harmes tapping the ball from the boundary line for a late goal by Ken Sheldon.

After 1979, there were some changes in the club's leadership. Despite these changes, Carlton kept winning on the field. Coach David Parkin led the team to back-to-back premierships in 1981 and 1982, beating Collingwood and Richmond in the Grand Finals. With their fourteenth premiership in 1982, Carlton became the most successful club in the league's history, a title they have held or shared ever since.

Star players during this time included Bruce Doull, known as one of the best defenders ever. Wayne Johnston was a great midfielder/forward. Carlton also brought in talented players from Western Australia like Mike Fitzpatrick, Ken Hunter, and Peter Bosustow.

The Modern Era (1983-2001)

In 1983, John Elliott became president. The club had some tough finals campaigns before Robert Walls took over as coach in 1986. Carlton also recruited three top young players from South Australia: Stephen Kernahan, Craig Bradley, and Peter Motley. They reached the next two Grand Finals, losing in 1986 and winning in 1987, both against Hawthorn. Kernahan became the club's longest-serving captain and leading career goalkicker. Bradley played the most games for the club (375). Sadly, Motley's career was cut short by a car accident. Carlton also recruited Stephen Silvagni, who is considered one of the greatest fullbacks of all time, and star player Greg Williams.

David Parkin returned to coach from 1991 to 2000, and Carlton was often in the finals. In 1995, Carlton became the first team to win twenty games in a regular season. They then won the Grand Final against Geelong, claiming their sixteenth premiership. Carlton reached two other Grand Finals in the 1990s, losing to Essendon in 1993 and to the Kangaroos in 1999. In 1999, they famously beat their rival Essendon in the preliminary final to reach the Grand Final.

Recent Challenges (2002-2021)

Carlton players warming up before a game.

After 2001, Carlton faced a difficult period. The club had not adapted well to the AFL Draft system, so when their star players from the 1990s retired, their performance dropped quickly. In 2002, Carlton finished last for the first time in its VFL/AFL history. The club also faced financial difficulties. To make things worse, it was discovered that Carlton had broken league rules regarding player payments. This resulted in losing draft picks and a large fine, which made their situation even harder.

After these challenges, John Elliott was replaced as president by Ian Collins. The club moved its main home games from Princes Park to Docklands Stadium. Coach Wayne Brittain was replaced by Denis Pagan. However, the team continued to struggle, finishing last three times between 2002 and 2007.

Carlton's situation began to improve in 2007 with new leadership. Richard Pratt became president, and Greg Swann became CEO. They helped stabilize the club's finances. Pagan was replaced by former captain Brett Ratten as coach. Before the 2008 season, Carlton traded for Chris Judd, one of the league's best midfielders, who became captain. Being at the bottom of the ladder also allowed Carlton to get three No. 1 draft picks: Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, and Matthew Kreuzer. These players helped the team improve.

Brett Ratten led Carlton to the finals from 2009 to 2011. He was replaced by Mick Malthouse in 2013, and the club made the finals again that year. However, Malthouse was sacked in 2015 after the team finished last. Brendon Bolton took over as coach in 2016. The team continued to struggle, finishing last again in 2018 with their worst win-loss record ever. Bolton was replaced by David Teague, who helped them avoid the wooden spoon in 2019 but was also sacked after two years without reaching the finals.

Sayers–Voss Era (2022–Present)

In August 2021, Luke Sayers became president. He led a review of the football department, which resulted in Teague being replaced by Michael Voss as senior coach. Voss led the club to the finals in his second season, ending a nine-year drought without playing in the finals.

Club Symbols

Guernsey (Jumper)

Carlton's current guernsey (playing jumper) is navy blue. It has a white "CFC" monogram (which stands for "Carlton Football Club") on the front and white numbers on the back. This design has been used since 1909. The club has worn navy blue in its uniform since 1871.

The team wears navy blue shorts for home games and white shorts for away games. Since 2007, Carlton has also used "clash" guernseys, which are mostly white with navy blue details.

Nickname

Carlton's official nickname is the 'Blues'. Because of their navy blue uniform, they have been called the Blues, Dark Blues, or Navy Blues since 1871. Other common nicknames include Bluebaggers or 'Baggers.

Before 1871, when their uniform was mainly chamois (a light yellow-brown color), the club was sometimes called the Butchers.

Club Song

Carlton's club song is We Are the Navy Blues. The words are believed to have been written around 1930 by Irene McEldrew and Agnes Wright. It is sung to the tune of Lily of Laguna.

Home Grounds and Training

Princes Park from above.

The club's traditional home ground is Princes Park, now known as Ikon Park. Carlton started playing most of its home games there in 1897 when they joined the VFL. They played there every year until 2004, with a final farewell game in 2005. It was the last suburban home ground used in AFL games. Princes Park is still Carlton's training and administrative base.

Since 2005, Carlton has played its home games at both Docklands Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The games expected to attract the biggest crowds are usually played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Rivalries

Collingwood

Carlton has a long and strong rivalry with Collingwood. This rivalry is one of the most historic in Australian sport, going back to their intense 1910 Grand Final. They have played each other in six Grand Finals, with Carlton winning five of them. Both clubs have won 16 premierships, which adds to the rivalry.

Essendon

Carlton also has a rivalry with Essendon. With 16 premierships each, these two teams, along with Collingwood, are tied for the most successful teams in VFL/AFL history.

Richmond

Carlton has a rivalry with Richmond. This rivalry is strong because the clubs are close to each other and have many supporters. They played in four Grand Finals between 1969 and 1982. Since 2008, they have played each other every year in Round 1 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, often as the opening game of the season.

Club Honours

Carlton Team of the Century

Four extra players were also named as emergencies: (1) Laurie Kerr, (2) Bob Chitty, (3) Horrie Clover and (4) Rod McGregor. The five players with an asterisk(*) are also part of the AFL Team of the Century, which is the most from any AFL club.

Hall of Fame

The Carlton Football Club started its Hall of Fame in 1987 to honor important people from the club's history. As of 2016, there have been 77 people inducted. In 1997, Carlton added a "Legends" category to its Hall of Fame. As of 2023, there are 16 Legends, including Craig Bradley, Bruce Doull, Alex Jesaulenko, John Nicholls, and Stephen Silvagni.

Individual Awards

Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductees

Many people who played or worked for the Carlton Football Club have been honored in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Three of them have "Legend" status.

Legends

Ron Barassi, Alex Jesaulenko, John Nicholls

Players

Peter Bedford, Craig Bradley, Horrie Clover, George Coulthard, Bruce Doull, Ken Hands, Ern Henfry, Ken Hunter, Wayne Johnston, Chris Judd, Stephen Kernahan, Anthony Koutoufides, Rod McGregor, Peter McKenna, Stephen Silvagni, Geoff Southby, Harry Vallence, Robert Walls, Greg Williams.

Coaches

Mick Malthouse, David Parkin, Jack Worrall

Administrators

Mike Fitzpatrick, Sir Kenneth Luke

Current Playing Squad

Club Records

Most Career Goals

Most Career Games

VFL/AFL Match Records

• Most goals in a game: 13 by Horrie Clover vs. St Kilda in 1921
• Highest score: 30.30 (210) vs. Hawthorn on 12 April 1969
• Lowest score: 0.6 (6) vs. Collingwood on 4 June 1898
• Greatest winning margin: 140 points vs. St Kilda on 8 April 1985
• Greatest losing margin: 138 points vs. Hawthorn on 24 July 2015
• Record attendance (home and away game): 91,571, 21 July 2000 at MCG v Essendon
• Record attendance (finals match): 121,696, Grand Final, 26 September 1970 v Collingwood.

Reserves Team

Carlton's reserves team was created in 1919. It allowed players not chosen for the senior team to play in a lower league. The Carlton reserves team won eight premierships between 1926 and 1990. In 2002, the reserves team was dissolved. Carlton then partnered with another VFL club, the Northern Bullants, so Carlton's reserves players could play there. This partnership ended in 2020, and Carlton started its own dedicated reserves team again for the 2021 season.

Women's Teams

The Carlton women's team before their first AFL Women's match in February 2017.

The Carlton Football Club has two senior women's teams: one in the national AFL Women's competition and one in the state VFL Women's competition.

History of Women's Football at Carlton

Carlton played a big part in starting women's football in Victoria. In August 1933, the club hosted the first VFL-approved match between women's teams, representing Carlton and Richmond. This game, played at Carlton's home ground Princes Park, drew about 10,000 people and raised money for charity. The club also fielded a women's team in 1947 for charity games.

AFL Women's Team

In June 2016, Carlton was given a license to create a team for the new AFL Women's league, which started in 2017. The team is fully part of the Carlton Football Club. Lauren Arnell was the first captain, along with star players Darcy Vescio and Brianna Davey. In its short history, the team has played in one Grand Final, which they lost to Adelaide in 2019.

Current squad

VFL Women's Team

Before the 2018 season, Carlton was also given a license to have a team in the VFL Women's competition. In 2021, the VFLW team became more closely linked with the AFLW team, similar to how the men's AFL and VFL teams work together.

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In Spanish: Carlton Football Club para niños

• Wikipedia listing of Carlton players
• List of Carlton Football Club coaches
• Sport in Australia
• Sport in Victoria