1999

After finishing 6th on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season, Carlton would come Runner Up in 1999, after surprising the rampant Bombers the week before in an amazing Preliminary Final. Carlton would be defeated by the Kangaroos, who were on their way to their 4th Premiership. This was our first grand final since our amazing 1995 win (and as of 2020 our last), retaining a number of key players from that win.

Perhaps as a sign of the age and strength of that team, or even a sign of the turmoil that was about to strike the Blues, only 4 players from the 1999 Grand Final Team were still on the list by 2005 and only 3 by 2006 (Carlton: Koutoufides, Lappin, Whitnall, with Camporeale instead moving on the Bombers and Hamill to St Kilda - incidentally all 5 finished in the same year). By 2008, the sole remaining AFL survivor of this team being Kris Massie, by now at the Crows.

Carlton were generally seen to have overperformed but over the next 3 years, would play finals on the back of a strong core of players.

Ladder

The People of 1999

Captain: Craig Bradley
Coach: David Parkin
Best and Fairest: Matthew Allan
Leading Goalkicker: Lance Whitnall - 55
Players Used: 35

Debuts

Round 18: Murray Vance
Round 17: Brendan Fevola
Round 16: Simon Fletcher
Round 3: Heath Culpitt
Round 1: Ben Thompson, Brett Backwell, Matthew Lappin*
Carlton Debut: Matthew Lappin

Milestones

300 games: Craig Bradley
250 games: Stephen Silvagni
150 games: Andrew McKay
100 games: Ron De Iulio, Scott Camporeale, Matthew Allan, Glenn Manton (Carlton), Adrian Hickmott (AFL)
50 games: Aaron Hamill, Simon Beaumont, Lance Whitnall, Adrian Hickmott (Carlton)
Retirements: Matthew Hogg, Adrian Whitehead, Trent Hoppner
Delistings: Brad Pearce, Craig Black, Tony Bourke, John Hynes, Damien Lock, Ben Thompson