1864 Carlton Football Club formed.

1865 Carlton Club one of six competing in the Challenge Cup.

1867 Dark blue and white colour, with an orange cap adopted.

1869 First playing of 100 minutes of play with a two goals to win system

1871 Club abandons use of the orange cap for a dark blue one and becomes known as the Dark Blues. Wins first Premiership

1872 Club increases membership by 25 to 93 and holds a credit of 15 pounds 7/6.

1873 Carlton players replace long trousers with blue knickerbockers and grey stockings.

1874 As many as 10,000 watched Carlton play the very strong Melbourne side and the Blues won 17 games for the season.

1877 Carlton wins Premiership of VFA, the first controlling body of football in Victoria. Team scores 56 goals for and have 11 scored against them for season.

1878 Club put off Madeline St Reserve and offered 11 acres of Princes Park by City Council.

1879 Club opens Princes Park Oval at southern end of Princes Park as a match venue. Carlton play Melbourne for first-ever night game under candescent electric lamps at the MCG.

1883 Among Carlton’s outstanding new players this year was one Robert Heatley.

1887 Second Carlton VFA Premiership and four points for a win and two for a draw given. Penny cards sold with numbers of players, who wore them on their left breasts in a Carlton v. Adelaide game.

1892 Carlton defeat Collingwood who appeared in their first Premiership battle game.

1895 Carlton play Richmond in first-ever pre-season match between top clubs.

1897 Club given place in new VFL despite a bad year in 1896. Had given much to the game.

1900 Players forced to wear caps to match the colours of their guernseys.

1902 Carlton appoint former Fitzroy champion John Worrall as first coach of a VFL team. Also as secretary and manager of the Club.

1903 Carlton in VFL Finals for first time.

1904 First actual Final battle although beaten by Fitzroy. Membership had reached 1870 and bank balance showed 147 pounds

1905 Carlton players wore white knickerbockers, dark blue woollen jerseys with round necks and dark blue stockings, which replaced hooped ones worn previously.

1906 Carlton wins first Club VFL Premiership defeating Fitzroy. Blues create record by scoring 11 goals straight in final. First time split King’s birthday matches played. AFC formed. Carlton’s Mick Grace becomes first VFL player to kick 50 goals in a season. Carlton’s team was described “the greatest of them all”.

1907 Carlton wins second flag by defeating South Melbourne before a record attendance of 45,300.

1908 Carlton wins third successive Premiership defeating Essendon. During the year the Australasian Jubilee Carnival was staged in Melbourne. Victoria easily won the first and only Australasian Championship in which all 6 States and New Zealand were represented. Carlton’s representatives were Bruce, McGregor, Johnson, Kelly and Payne. H.C.A. Harrison, known as the “Father of the Game”, was given Life Membership of Carlton. Members empowered the Committee to borrow 2000 pounds to build stand.

1909 Gardiner Stand at Princes Park opened. Club falls into internal strife off field. Worrall resigns as coach after 8 years. Elliott, captain, takes over the remainder of season. Carlton runners-up to South Melbourne, defeated by 2 points.

1910 Worrall retires as Secretary. Carlton runner-up to Collingwood after heading list at the end of the home and away games. Continuing internal strife.

1911 Carlton finished fourth, defeated by Essendon, in the finals for the 9th successive year. Involved in the most freakish experience in League history by playing drawn games in the two opening rounds against Essendon and South Melbourne. Numbers worn first in VFL by Carlton and Essendon players.

1912 Fred Elliott, Coach. Tenth successive appearance in the finals, finish in third place.

1914 Carlton wins fourth Premiership in Jubilee year defeating South Melbourne. Nine of the 18 members in the Grand Final side were first-year players.

1915 Carlton wins fifth Premiership against Collingwood, having its most success since 1908. Attendance and gate receipts were halved by the pressure of war and most of the League clubs were in debt. University was disbanded before the 1915 season, which left nine clubs in the League.

1916 World War I at its peak. Five clubs, Melbourne, Geelong, South Melbourne, Essendon and St Kilda didn’t field teams, leaving Carlton, Collingwood, Fitzroy and Richmond to carry on. Newspaper reports of VFL games restricted to one or two paragraphs.

1919 Members’ tickets rose from 5/- to 5/6, 7d. to Outer, and 1/3 to Reserve. Club percentages introduced.

1920 Great player Rod McGregor injured and forced to retire after 11 years with club.

1922 H. Clover, the top forward of the competition in the 1920s appointed captain and later coach.

1923 Club misses Finals for only second time in 21 consecutive seasons.

1924 Carlton defeat Fitzroy in mid-season game and first time both clubs had scored 100 points or more in a VFL game.

1927 Alex Duncan named outstanding player of season, runner-up in Brownlow Medal.

1929 Club record to that stage of 244 goals 296 behinds (1760 points) for season.

1930 Carlton win 13 of opening 14 games – 19th man introduced. Club record winning margin of 128 points (over N. Melb) still stands, although equalled in 1969. Carlton and Richmond play drawn game in Brisbane.

1931 Height of the Great Depression. New McIntyre Finals system introduced. H. Vallence sets new club goal-kicking record of 86 goals for season. H. Clover retires, having played since 1920.

1932 Sir William Brunton opens 7000 pounds Robert Heatley Stand. H. Vallence, with 11 goals in Preliminary Final and 97 for season, tops VFL list. Carlton in finals for first time since 1921. Club institutes a Players’ Provident Fund.

1934 Team tops 20 goal tally four times for season, including a record 24.22 v. St Kilda. Robert Reynolds Trophy as Club best & fairest instituted.

1936 Former Geelong winger Jack Carney and Jack Wrout from North Melbourne to start outstanding careers with Carlton.

1937 Mr K.G. Luke replaces Mr Dave Crone as President. Club defeats Stanford University in a kicking contest during half time ofthe Grand Final.

1938 96,834, a record crowd, watched Carlton triumph over Collingwood for the Premiership. Physical training to supplement nominal training introduced to Carlton by Dr F.R. McCumisky and Mr H. True. Club declared Australian champions.

1939 Outstanding forward H. Vallence retired, transferred to Williamstown after kicking 722 goals, a club record. Mr Harry Bell appointed Secretary, replacing Mr Newton Chandler.

1941 Club on top of ladder for entire season, but lose Preliminary Final to Essendon.

1942 Ollie Grieve and Bert Deacon played their first games. Frank Gill and Mickey Crisp retire.

1945 Club rises from 12th after three matches to fourth place, from where the seventh Premiership was won. New coach former Richmond star Percy Bentley. Wild game in Grand Final at Princes Park, attendance 62,986.

1946 Carlton recommended to VFL that the 20th man be introduced.

1947 Club defeated Essendon by one point for eighth Premiership. Ex W.A. player Ern Henfry appointed club captain. Player Bert Deacon wins club’s first Brownlow.

1950 Carlton joins Collingwood to be first VFL clubs to pass 600 wins

1951 616th win – in 10,00th VFL game played over 54 years to create a record for morewins than losses by any league side. Both club Seconds and Thirds win Premierships.

1952 Star forward Keith Warburton seriously injured in Semi-final

1954 In his 17th year as President of Carlton, K.G. Luke is knighted

1955 P. Bentley retires as senior coach. Jim Francis takes over.

1956 Sir Kenneth Luke appointed VFL President. Mr H. Clover becomes President at Carlton.

1958 Former captain Ken Hands retires after 211 games with Carlton.

1959 With 13 wins and a draw, Carlton finish only two points behind eventual Premiers, Melbourne, but lose Preliminary to Essendon. Ken Hands takes over as coach

1961 Defender John James takes club’s second Brownlow Medal.

1962 Runner up to Essendon after finishing fourth at the end of home and away games, then tied preliminary final against Geelong and beat Geelong by five points in replay.

1964 Carlton’s centenary year. Carlton finished 10th, lowest position ever. High-flying forward turned defender, Gordon Collis, wins club’s third Brownlow Medal.

1965 Former great Melbourne player Ron Barassi takes over as playing coach. Mr G. Harris takes over from Mr L. Holmes as President. Social Club established at Princes Park.

1967 Two points from ladder leadership, but Geelong put Blues out in Preliminary Final.

1968 Carlton wins ninth VFL Club premiership defeating season’s leader Essendon to win a low scoring Grand Final creating VFL record by being the first club to win the premiership scoring less goals than their opponents.

1969 Runner up to Richmond. John Nicholls, Captain. Club wins 15 games. Carlton creates VFL and Club record score defeating Hawthorn, 30.30.210 to 12.10.82.

1970 Most triumphant comeback in Grand Final history as Blues, down 6.8 at half time, fight back and win 17.9 to 14.17 over Collingwood. Reserve Ted Hopkins (4 goals) and coach Ron Barassi hailed as heroes. A. Jesaulenko is first Carlton player to top 100 goals (115 for season).

1972 Great Captain and outstanding follower of competition since 1957, John Nicholls, takes over as captain/coach and club is successful in winning highest ever scored Grand Final (28.9 to Richmond’s 22.18). Carlton and Richmond played in first tied Second Semi (8.13 each) at VFL Park.

1973 Club fails to become first VFL team to win Premiership from third place on ladder after losing Grand Final to Richmond.

1974 Hawthorn Club moves to Princes Park. John Nicholls retires after a record 331 games for the Carlton Club.

1979 Carlton joins Essendon and Melbourne on 12 VFL Premiership wins each with a magnificent win over Collingwood in Grand Final. Coach Alex Jesaulenko later moved to St Kilda after conflict within the Club.

1980 Carlton finishes third after being in the top three positions for the entire season. Club upheaval prior to season with committee and presidential infighting. President George Harris resigns. Mr Ian Rice elected President. Peter Jones takes over as Coach.

1981 Club settles into excellent team pattern under guidance of new coach David Parkin (ex-Hawthorn) to not only finish top of ladder, but take out club’s 13th VFL Premiership to equal Collingwood. Bruce Doull wins Norm Smith Medal in Grand Final win.

1982 Club finishes third on ladder with 16 1/2 wins. Suffers humiliating defeat at hands of Richmond in Second Semi after easily accounting for Hawthorn in Qualifying Final. As outsiders, the team played magnificently to win the 14th Premiership to become outright leaders in number of Premierships won.

1983 A disappointing first half to the season; finished strongly, but lost in successive weeks to Essendon in final home and away game and Elimination Final. Mr Ian Rice resigned as President after four years and was succeeded by Mr John Elliott. Bruce Doull honoured with testimonial.

1984 The retirement of on-field leader, Mike Fitzpatrick, left a void that was difficult to overcome. Our final fate was fourth position.

1985 Carlton won 12 of the last 14 matches to again qualify for the Finals. But North Melbourne proved far too good in the Elimination Final. Former Carlton captain Robert Walls returned to Princes Park as senior coach as successor to David Parkin, who had coached for five years including the 1981-82 Premierships.

1986 Influx of four interstate recruits, Stephen Kernahan, Craig Bradley, Peter Motley and Jon Dorotich as Carlton advanced to the Grand Final, losing to Hawthorn. Bruce Doull retired after 359 games – Club record.

1987 Carlton was the minor premier and, having defeated Hawthorn in the Second Semi- Final again triumphed over the Hawks to post a record 15th VFL Premiership. Recruit Mark Naley, representing SA, became the first Carlton player to win the Tassie Medal. It was the first season of the expanded national competition with two extra teams from Brisbane and Perth. David Rhys-Jones wins Norm Smith Medal in Grand Final win.

1988 The Carlton Football Club geared up for a promising 1988. And the year began in fine style, too, when the Blues celebrated the unfurling of their Premiership flag at Princes Park with a 15-point victory over Hawthorn in the traditional Grand Final replay. The bubble burst in 1988 with a Preliminary Final loss to Melbourne at VFL Park.

1989 125th Anniversary of the Carlton Football Club recorded the worst on-field performance since 1964 (Centenary Year). During the year, Senior Coach Robert During the year, Senior Coach Robert was also the final year of the competition known as the Victorian Football League.

1990 Another disappointing year – eleven wins, eleven losses for eighth position on ladder. Reserves win Premiership. Competition became known as Australian Football League.

1991 By finishing 11th, Carlton created history as it was the worst finish to a season in the history of the Club.

1992 Carlton Football Club, in finishing seventh with 14 wins and 8 losses, finished out of finals contention on percentage. It was the most games won in a season for a team finishing seventh. The highlight of the year was the win over Collingwood at the MCG under lights in the match depicted as the ‘Match of the Century’, 100 years to the day since the teams first played each other in 1892.

1993 After a slow start to the Home and Away season, the team gathered momentum victories, including a thrilling one-point and qualified for the Finals in second position. An historical final against Essendon under lights was played at the MCG, which was eventually won by Carlton. Carlton succumbed to Essendon in the Grand Final. Craig Bradley won his third Club Best & Fairest, Greg Williams finished second in the Brownlow Medal and Stephen Kernahan with 68 goals, won his eighth consecutive Club goalkicking award, which became a Club record.

1994 Fremantle are admitted as the 16th team in the AFL. Fitzroy moved its home to the Western Oval and two NSW Rugby League matches were played at Optus Oval. After crushing wins over the West Coast Eagles and Richmond, expectations were shattered as the team lost successive finals to Melbourne and Geelong. Greg Williams’ magnificent season culminated with the Club Best & Fairest and the Brownlow Medal. Rod Ashman, Assistant Coach, resigns after 22 consecutive years with Carlton as player, Director and Coach.

1995 Carlton creates AFL/VFL history. Wins 20 out of 22 Home and Away games. Wins 16 consecutive matches culminating in a Premiership. Wins 16th Premiership. David Parkin’s third Premiership as Coach at Carlton equalling Jack Worrall. Greg Williams wins Norm Smith Medal in Grand Final. Justin Madden plays 300th AFL game. Works commence on new grandstand at Eastern End of Optus Oval.

1996 Carlton extends consecutive winning matches to 18 after wins over Collingwood and Essendon. Membership reaches record level of 23,278. Carlton finishes sixth after losing finals in Perth and Brisbane. Stephen Silvagni joins father Sergio in having played 200 games, won two Best & Fairests and two Premierships. Fitzroy merge with Brisbane and Port Adelaide join the AFL for 1997.

1997 Membership reaches record high of 24,984. The Legends Stand opens in April.25 Carlton greats named as the Legends to commemorate the opening by Victorian Premier the Hon. Jeff Kennett. Western Bulldogs now based at Optus Oval. Stephen Kernahan becomes VFL/AFL’s longest serving captain (250 games). Kernahan, Williams, Spalding, Madden and Hanna announce their retirements at season end.

1998 Membership passes the 25,000 mark for the first time in history. David Parkin the first to coach Carlton in 300 games and is reappointed for a further two years. Peter Dean retires after 248 games with the Club.

1999 Craig Bradley is honoured with a Testimonial Year and during the season he joins John Nicholls and Bruce Doull as the only players to have played 300 games for Carlton. Carlton returns to the finals after a two-year absence, finishing sixth after the home & away season. Two Finals victories, including a thrilling one-point win over Essendon in the Preliminary Final and Carlton becomes the first team to reach the Grand Final from sixth place.

2000 Carlton’s 2000 season commences on New Year’s Eve with a victory in the Millennium Challenge against Collingwood at the MCG. A 13-game winning streak, from rounds 6 to 18, the third longest in the Club’s history, helps Carlton to finish in second spot before the finals, ultimately finishing third after a preliminary final loss. A record home crowd of 91,571 attends the Carlton home game against Essendon at the MCG in round 20. Carlton plays Collingwood at Optus Oval for the first time in 18 years in what was billed as the Last Suburban Battle. David Parkin announces his retirement after a Club record 355 games as coach of Carlton.

2001 Wayne Brittain takes over as Senior Coach. Stephen Silvagni is honoured with a Testimonial Year and during the season he becomes the fourth player to play 300 games for Carlton. After 312 games, Stephen announces his retirement at the end of the season. An inconsistent season in which we were defeated in the Semi- Finals, finishing 6th. Craig Bradley equalled Bruce Doull's Club record 356 games in Carlton's final match of the season.

2002 Carlton agrees to play 4 home matches at Colonial Stadium with 4 at Optus Oval and 3 at the MCG. In a disappointing year with many injuries to senior players Carlton has only 3 victories and for the first time finishes last in the VFL/AFL. Following the season Craig Bradley announced his retirement after a club record of 375 games.

2003 Denis Pagan takes over as Senior Coach but due to injuries to key players and severe draft penalties is only able to lift Carlton to 15th on the ladder. After winning 4 games in the first half of the season, Carlton struggled in the second half losing the remainder of their matches including record losses to West Coast and the Kangaroos. Positives to come out of the season were a number of emerging youngsters and a record membership number of over 30,000. Ratten, McKay, Manton and Hickmott all retire.

2004 Anthony Koutoufides is appointed captain of the Carlton Football Club and Carlton wins ten games for the season finishing in 11th position on the AFL ladder. The Carlton Football Club Board made the decision to play future home games at the Dome and MCG with one final game to be played at Optus Oval in 2005.

2005 Carlton wins the pre-season competition but has a disappointing home and away season finishing with 4 ½ wins in 16th spot on the AFL ladder. In round 9 Carlton plays its final game at Optus Oval, an 18-point loss to Melbourne. A record Membership year for Carlton with 33,534 members and Carlton captain Anthony Koutoufides wins his second Carlton Best & Fairest Award.