Blueseum - Online historical archive of the Carlton Football Club
Club History

Timeline

Era

Foundation Years

1864 – 1896

Carlton Football Club is founded in 1864 and helps shape the Victorian game through three decades of intercolonial football.

  1. Milestone1864

    Formation of the Club

  2. Premiership1869

    First Premiership

  3. Premiership1871

    2nd Premiership

  4. Premiership1873

    3rd Premiership

  5. Premiership1874

    4th Premiership

  6. Premiership1875

    5th Premiership

  7. Premiership1877

    Inaugural VFA premiership

    Carlton wins the very first Victorian Football Association premiership, twenty years before the breakaway VFL is formed.

  8. Premiership1887

    2nd VFA Premiership

Era

Early VFL Era

1897 – 1929

Joining the breakaway Victorian Football League in 1897, Carlton establishes itself as a powerhouse with three premierships in a row from 1906–1908.

  1. Milestone1897

    Foundation member of the VFL

    Carlton is one of the eight clubs to break away from the VFA and form the Victorian Football League.

  2. Premiership1906

    1906 VFL Premiers

    Carlton claims its first VFL premiership.

  3. Premiership1907

    1907 VFL Premiers

    Back-to-back flags as Carlton defends the premiership.

  4. Premiership1908

    1908 VFL Premiers

    A historic three-peat: Carlton's third premiership in three seasons.

  5. Premiership1914

    1914 VFL Premiers

    Carlton wins its fourth premiership.

  6. Premiership1915

    1915 VFL Premiers

    Back-to-back flags during the early years of World War I.

Era

Between the Wars

1930 – 1949

A second golden run delivers the 1938, 1945 and 1947 flags amid the shadow of two world wars.

  1. Premiership1938

    1938 VFL Premiers

    Carlton ends a 23-year premiership drought.

  2. Premiership1945

    1945 'Bloodbath' Premiership

    Carlton wins the infamously violent 1945 Grand Final against South Melbourne.

  3. Premiership1947

    1947 VFL Premiers

    Carlton claims its eighth flag.

  4. Legend1947

    Bert Deacon wins the Brownlow Medal

    Bert Deacon becomes Carlton's first Brownlow medallist.

Era

Television Age

1950 – 1979

The arrival of television and the legendary Ron Barassi coaching tenure herald a modern era of premiership success.

  1. Legend1961

    John James wins the Brownlow Medal

    John James becomes Carlton's second Brownlow medallist.

  2. Legend1964

    Gordon Collis wins the Brownlow Medal

    Gordon Collis becomes Carlton's third Brownlow medallist.

  3. Coach1965

    Ron Barassi appointed senior coach

    Ron Barassi crosses from Melbourne as captain-coach, ushering in a new era for the club.

  4. Premiership1968

    1968 VFL Premiers

    Carlton ends a 21-year drought under coach Ron Barassi.

  5. Premiership1970

    1970 VFL Premiers

    The famous comeback grand final: Carlton trail Collingwood by 44 points at half-time and storm home to win.

  6. Legend1970

    Alex Jesaulenko kicks 100 goals

    Alex "Jezza" Jesaulenko becomes the first Carlton player to kick 100 goals in a season.

  7. Premiership1972

    1972 VFL Premiers

    Carlton claims its 11th premiership.

  8. Premiership1979

    1979 VFL Premiers

    Carlton wins a thrilling grand final over Collingwood.

Era

Premiership Dynasty

1980 – 1995

Five flags in sixteen years cement Carlton as one of the most successful sides of the modern game.

  1. Premiership1981

    1981 VFL Premiers

    The David Parkin era begins with a premiership.

  2. Premiership1982

    1982 VFL Premiers

    Back-to-back flags under coach David Parkin.

  3. Premiership1987

    1987 VFL Premiers

    Carlton defeats Hawthorn in the grand final to claim its 15th flag.

  4. Legend1994

    Greg Williams wins the Brownlow Medal

    Greg "Diesel" Williams becomes Carlton's fourth Brownlow medallist.

  5. Premiership1995

    1995 AFL Premiers

    Carlton's 16th premiership, the club's most recent flag.

Era

Modern AFL Era

1996 – present

The competition becomes truly national. Carlton's recent history blends rebuilding years with renewed finals contention.

  1. Ground21 May 2005

    Farewell AFL game at Princes Park

    Carlton plays its final home-and-away AFL match at Princes Park, against Melbourne on 21 May 2005, the last suburban ground to host AFL football.

  2. Legend2010

    Chris Judd wins the Brownlow Medal

    Chris Judd becomes Carlton's fifth Brownlow medallist, his second after winning the 2004 medal at West Coast.

  3. Ground2015

    Princes Park renamed Ikon Park

    A naming-rights partnership renames Carlton's spiritual home to Ikon Park, which remains the club's training and administrative base.

  4. Milestone2017

    Inaugural AFLW season

    Carlton fields a team in the first AFL Women's season, with Lauren Arnell as inaugural captain.

  5. Legend2021

    Harry McKay wins the Coleman Medal

    Harry McKay kicks 58 goals to claim the Coleman Medal as the AFL's leading goalkicker.

  6. Legend2022

    Patrick Cripps wins the Brownlow Medal

    Patrick Cripps becomes Carlton's sixth Brownlow medallist.

  7. Legend2023

    Charlie Curnow wins back-to-back Coleman Medals

    After taking out the 2022 Coleman, Charlie Curnow goes back-to-back: the third consecutive year the AFL's leading goalkicker has come from Carlton (McKay 2021, Curnow 2022 and 2023).

  8. Legend2024

    Patrick Cripps wins his second Brownlow Medal

    Patrick Cripps wins his second Brownlow, becoming the first Carlton player to claim the medal twice.