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{{Short description|Australian-rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox australian football club
| clubname       = Carlton Football Club
| image          = [[File:Carlton FC Logo 2020.svg|140px]]
| image_size     = 
| fullname       = Carlton Football Club Limited<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abr.business.gov.au/ABN/View?abn=95005449909|title=Current details for ABN 95 005 449 909|website=ABN Lookup|date=November 2014|publisher=Australian Business Register|access-date=4 August 2020}}</ref>
| nicknames      = {{ubl|Blues|Blue Baggers|Baggers|Old Navy Blues}}
| motto          = [[Mens sana in corpore sano]] (a healthy mind in a healthy body)
| season         = [[2025 AFL season|<span style="color:white">2025</span>]]
| home&away      = 11th
| topgoalkicker  = [[Charlie Curnow]] (32 goals)
| bestandfairest = [[George Hewett (footballer)|George Hewett]]
| bestandfairestname = John Nicholls Medal
| founded        = {{Start date and age|1864}}
| colours        = Navy blue, white<br />{{color box|#031829|border=silver}} {{color box|#FFFFFF|border=silver}}
| color1         = #031A29
| color2         = white
| color3         = solid #031A29
| league         = '''[[Australian Football League|AFL]]:''' Senior men<br />'''[[AFL Women's|AFLW]]:''' Senior women<br />'''[[Victorian Football League|VFL]]:''' Reserves men<br />'''[[VFL Women's|VFLW]]:''' Reserves women
| premierships   = '''VFL/AFL''' (16) {{hlist|[[1906 VFL Grand Final|1906]]|[[1907 VFL Grand Final|1907]]|[[1908 VFL Grand Final|1908]]|[[1914 VFL Grand Final|1914]]|[[1915 VFL Grand Final|1915]]|[[1938 VFL Grand Final|1938]]|[[1945 VFL Grand Final|1945]]|[[1947 VFL Grand Final|1947]]|[[1968 VFL Grand Final|1968]]|[[1970 VFL Grand Final|1970]]|[[1972 VFL Grand Final|1972]]|[[1979 VFL Grand Final|1979]]|[[1981 VFL Grand Final|1981]]|[[1982 VFL Grand Final|1982]]|[[1987 VFL Grand Final|1987]]|[[1995 AFL Grand Final|1995]]}}'''VFA''' (2){{hlist|[[1877 VFA season|1877]]|[[1887 VFA season|1887]]}} '''Victorian''' (4){{hlist|[[1871 Victorian football season|1871]]|[[1873 Victorian football season|1873]]|[[1874 Victorian football season|1874]]|[[1875 Victorian football season|1875]]}}
| president      = Robert Priestley
| ceo            = [[Graham Wright]] 
| coach          = '''AFL:''' [[Michael Voss]]<br />'''AFLW:''' Mathew Buck
| captain        = '''AFL:''' [[Patrick Cripps]]<br />'''AFLW:''' [[Abbie McKay]]
| ground         = '''AFL:''' [[Marvel Stadium]] (56,347) & [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]] (100,024)<br />'''AFLW & VFL & VFLW:''' [[Princes Park (stadium)|Ikon Park]] (12,000) 
| capacity       =  
| ground2        = 
| capacity2      = 
| formerground   = [[Princes Park (stadium)|Princes Park]]
| span           = 1897–2005
| trainingground = Princes Park (Ikon Park)
| url            = [http://www.carltonfc.com.au/ carltonfc.com.au]
| kit_alt1       = 
| pattern_b1     = _carlton2022h
| pattern_sh1    = _whitesides
| pattern_so1    = 
| body1          = 031A29
| shorts1        = 031A29
| socks1         = 031A29
| pattern_name1  = <!--optional, default: Home -->
| kit_alt2       = 
| pattern_b2     =  _carlton2022h
| pattern_sh2    = _sides_on_white
| pattern_so2    =  
| body2          = 031A29
| shorts2        = 031A29
| socks2         = 031A29
| pattern_name2  = <!--optional, default: Away -->
| kit_alt3       = 
| pattern_b3     = _carlton2022c
| pattern_sh3    = _sides_on_white
| pattern_so3    = 
| body3          = ffffff
| shorts3        = 021A31
| socks3         = 021A31
| pattern_name3  = Clash
| current   = 2024 Carlton Football Club season
}}

The '''Carlton Football Club''', nicknamed the '''Blues''', is a professional [[Australian rules football]] club based at [[Princes Park (stadium)|Princes Park]] in [[Carlton North, Victoria|Carlton North]], an inner suburb of [[Melbourne]] in [[Victoria, Australia]]. The club competes in the [[Australian Football League]] (AFL), the sport's premier competition.

Founded in the 1860s, the club began playing out of parklands historically part of [[Carlton, Victoria|Carlton]] not far from its current base. It quickly became one of the major football clubs in the city. It was a foundation member of the [[Victorian Football League|Victorian Football Association]] (VFA), winning the inaugural premiership in [[1877 VFA season|1877]]. In 1896, Carlton joined the breakaway Victorian Football League (since renamed the AFL), and alongside rivals {{AFL Col}}, {{AFL Ess}} and {{AFL Ric}} is regarded as one of the league's historical "Big Four" clubs, with 16  VFL/AFL premierships (a joint record with Collingwood and Essendon). The club's [[AFL Women's]] team has competed since the league's inaugural [[2017 AFLW season]].

It currently plays its home matches at [[Docklands Stadium]] and the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]]. Princes Park is its traditional home ground of the club and is home to its women's team. Carlton also has reserves sides in the [[Victorian Football League]] and [[VFL Women's]].

==Club history==
=== Early history ===
[[File:Carlton_fc_south_yarra_winners.jpg |thumb|right|upright| Carlton won the 1871 club season and South Yarra Presentation Cup]]
[[File:Carlton Footballer George Coulthard.jpg |thumb|upright|right| [[George Coulthard]], an early champion Carlton footballer in 1880]]

During a meeting on 17 May 1865 at the University Hotel in Grattan Street Carlton the Carlton Football Club nominated secretary Ben James and president James Linacre respectively.<ref name="founding">[https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/715680/moment-7-in-the-beginning Moment 7: In the beginning...] By Tony De Bolfo, Carlton Media 23 May 2014</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article155026445 |title=THE NEWS OF THE DAY. |newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=3,293 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=19 May 1865 |accessdate=27 November 2024 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>[https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/726629/the-university-hotel-where-it-all-began The University Hotel - where it all began] By Tony De Bolfo for carltonfc.com.au 24 Jan 2013</ref> The club formally adopted the [[Melbourne Football Club]] rules.<ref name="founding" /> This is the earliest record of incorporation however the club believes it was formed earlier based on numerous indirect accounts<ref name="founding" /><ref name="Foundation Blueseum">[https://www.blueseum.org/Formation+of+the+Club Formation of the Club - Blueseum]</ref> and officially celebrates anniversaries based on a foundation date of 1864.<ref>[https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1537437/carlton-to-embark-on-160th-year-celebration Carlton to embark on 160th year celebration] By Tony De Bolfo, Carlton Media 24 April 2024</ref> It also continues to investigate evidence of an earlier foundation, including the proposed formation of a Carlton Football Club on 21 May 1861 connected to a Carlton Cricket Club.<ref>The Argus (Melbourne). No.4, 666. Victoria, Australia. 17 May 1861. p. 8.</ref><ref>"Advertising". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 4, 668. Victoria, Australia. 20 May 1861. p.8.</ref><ref>"Sporting Notes and Notions". Table Talk. No. 672. Victoria, Australia. 13 May 1898. p. 16.</ref><ref>"CARLTON FOOTBALL CLUB". The Coburg Leader. Vol. XXV, no. 47. Victoria, Australia. 8 December 1906. p. 4.</ref><ref>"FOOTBALL JUBILEE CARNIVAL". The Age. No. 16669. Victoria, Australia. 15 August 1908. p. 16.</ref>

The earliest records of the club playing were from 1865 out of Princes Park in Carlton.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article155040312 |title=THE NEWS OF THE DAY. |newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=3,378 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=26 August 1865 |accessdate=23 November 2022 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

In the early days, Carlton became particularly strong competitively and grew a large supporter base. It became a fierce rival to the [[Melbourne Football Club]] in early competitions, including the [[Challenge Cup (Australia)|South Yarra Challenge Cup]], and the club is recognised as senior Victorian premiers in 1871, 1873, 1874 and 1875.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

=== Victorian Football Association and Victorian Football League ===

In [[1877 VFA season|1877]], Carlton was one of the foundation clubs of the [[Victorian Football Association]], and was a comfortable winner of the premiership in the competition's inaugural season.<ref name="fpf1">{{cite web|url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Carlton_part_1.htm|title=Carlton – Part One: 1864 to 1919|first=John|last=Devaney|access-date=8 October 2011|publisher=Fullpointsfooty|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806045331/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Carlton_part_1.htm|archive-date=6 August 2011|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Carlton was one of the first clubs to have a player worthy of the superstar tag: champion player [[George Coulthard]], who played for Carlton between 1876 and 1882, and was noted by ''[[Australasian Post|The Australasian]]'' as 'The grandest player of the day'. He died of tuberculosis in [[1883]], aged 27.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

The club won one more VFA premiership, in [[1887 VFA season|1887]], but after that, particularly during the 1890s, the club went from one of the strongest clubs in the Association to one of the weaker, both on-field and off-field. In spite of this, the club was invited to join the breakaway [[Victorian Football League (1897–1989)|Victorian Football League]] competition in [[1897]].<ref name=bluehistory>[http://www.carltonfc.com.au/ Official Website of the Carlton Football Club] [http://www.carltonfc.com.au/carltonfc/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4311/Default.aspx?newsId=2467 History of the Blues] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070901171133/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/carltonfc/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4311/Default.aspx?newsId=2467 |date=1 September 2007 }} Retrieved on 15 April 2007.</ref> The club continued to struggle in early seasons of the new competition, and finished seventh out of eight teams in each of its first five seasons.{{citation needed|date=July 2025}}

[[File:Carlton fc 1887.jpg |thumb|center| Carlton's 1887 VFA premiership side]]

===Jack Worrall to World War I===
Carlton's fortunes improved significantly in 1902. The Board elected the highly respected former [[Fitzroy Football Club|Fitzroy]] footballer and [[Australia national cricket team|Australian]] [[test cricket]]er [[Jack Worrall]], then the secretary of the [[Carlton Cricket Club]], to the same position at the football club. As secretary, Worrall slowly took over the managing of the players, in what is now recognised as the first official coaching role in the VFL. Under Worrall's guidance in the latter part of the 1902 season, Carlton's on-field performances improved,<ref name="egep">{{citation|first=Stephen|last=Rodgers|title=Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results, 1897–1991|publisher=Viking O'Neil|publication-place=Ringwood, VIC|edition=3rd|year=1992}}</ref> and in 1903 he led Carlton to the [[AFL finals series|finals]] for the first time.

[[File:Carlton premiership flag 1907.jpg|thumb|left|The 1906 VFL premiership flag being hoisted at Carlton Oval]]
Carlton built a strong reputation and financial position, and was able to convince many great players to shift to the club from other clubs, or even (in the case of [[Mick Grace]]) out of retirement. Worrall led the club to its first three VFL premierships, won consecutively, in [[1906 VFL Grand Final|1906]], [[1907 VFL Grand Final|1907]] and [[1908 VFL Grand Final|1908]]. Carlton became the first club in the VFL to win three premierships in a row, and its win–loss record of 19–1 in the [[1908 VFL season|1908 season]] (including finals) was a record which stood for more than ninety years.{{Ref|1|N 1}}

Following these premierships, Carlton went through a tumultuous period off-field. Some players had become frustrated by low payments and hard training standards, and responded by refusing to train or even play matches. The club removed Worrall from the coaching role (he retained the role of secretary), and after significant changes at board level after the 1909 season, Worrall left the club altogether. Many players who had supported Worrall left the club at the end of the season. Then, in 1910, several players were suspected of having taken bribes to [[match fixing|fix]] matches, with two players ([[Alex Lang]] and [[Doug Fraser (Australian footballer)|Doug Fraser]]) both found guilty and suspended for 99 matches.<ref name="fpf1" /> Despite this backdrop, Carlton continued its strong on-field form, reaching the [[1909 VFL Grand Final|1909]] and [[1910 VFL Grand Final|1910]] Grand Finals, but losing both.<ref name="egep" />

[[File:Carlton fc 1914.jpg|thumb|The 1914 Carlton team photographed at the old East Melbourne Cricket Ground.]]
Carlton fell out of the finals in 1913, but returned in 1914 under coach [[Norm Clark]], and with many inexperienced players, to win back-to-back premierships in [[1914 VFL season|1914]] and [[1915 VFL season]]s. Most football around the country was suspended during the height of World War I, but Carlton continued to compete in a VFL which featured, at its fewest, only four clubs. Altogether, between Jack Worrall's first Grand Final in 1904 and the peak of World War I in 1916, Carlton won five premierships and contested nine Grand Finals for one of the most successful times in the club's history. The only success which eluded the club was the [[Championship of Australia]]; Carlton contested the championship three times (1907, 1908 and 1914), with its [[SANFL|South Australian]] opponents victorious on all three occasions.

=== Between the wars ===

Through the 1920s and the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, Carlton maintained a strong on-field presence. The club was a frequent finalist, contesting fourteen finals series between the wars. However, premiership success did not follow, and the club contested only three Grand Finals for just one premiership during this period, and endured the second longest premiership drought (23 years) in the club's history.<ref name="seasons">{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/teams/carlton/season.html|title=Carlton Season Summary|publisher=AFL Tables|access-date=23 October 2011}}</ref> The drought was broken with the club's sixth VFL premiership in [[1938 VFL season|1938]], when former [[Subiaco Football Club|Subiaco]] and [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]] champion [[Brighton Diggins]] was recruited by the club to serve as captain-coach.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

On-field, Carlton's inter-war period was highlighted by two of its greatest goalkickers: in the 1920s, [[Horrie Clover]] (396 goals in 147 games), and in the 1930s, [[Harry Vallence|Harry "Soapy" Vallence]] (722 goals in 204 games), both of which were Carlton career records at the time.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

===1941–64===
[[File:Bob Chitty.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Bob Chitty]] captained Carlton to victory in the [[1945 VFL Grand Final|1945 "Bloodbath" Grand Final]].]]
The VFL continued to operate through World War II. With the retirement of Diggins, Carlton secured the services of former {{AFL Ric}} coach [[Percy Bentley]], who coached the club for fifteen seasons. Carlton continued to finish in or near the finals without premiership success through the war, before winning the premiership in 1945, one month after peace. In a remarkable season, Carlton languished with a record of 3–6 after nine weeks, but won ten of the remaining eleven home-and-away matches to finish fourth; Carlton then comfortably beat {{AFL NM}} in the first semi-final, overcame a 28-point deficit in the final quarter to beat Collingwood in the preliminary final, then beat South Melbourne in the notoriously brutal and violent [[Bloodbath Grand Final]].<ref name="fpf2">{{cite web|url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Carlton_part_2.htm|title=Carlton – Part Two: 1920 to 1964|first=John|last=Devaney|access-date=24 October 2011|publisher=Fullpointsfooty|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615212930/http://fullpointsfooty.net/Carlton_part_2.htm|archive-date=15 June 2010|url-status=usurped}}</ref>

Carlton contested two more Grand Finals in the 1940s, both against {{AFL Ess}}, winning the [[1947 VFL Grand Final|1947 Grand Final]] by a single point, and being comfortably beaten in [[1949 VFL Grand Final|1949]].<ref name="fpf2" /> Thereafter followed what was then Carlton's weakest on-field period since Worrall's appointment in 1902, with the club reaching the finals only four times between 1950 and 1964. Finishing tenth out of twelve and winning only five matches, 1964 was Carlton's worst VFL season to that point in its history.<ref name="seasons" />

=== Ron Barassi to 1973 ===

A change of president at the end of 1964 heralded the most successful period in the Carlton Football Club's history. Between 1967 and 1988, Carlton missed the finals only three times, contested ten Grand Finals, and won seven premierships.<ref name="seasons" />

The period of success began when [[George Harris (Carlton president)|George Harris]] replaced Lew Holmes as president of the club, after the 1964 season. Harris then signed {{AFL Mel}} legend [[Ron Barassi]] serve as coach from 1965. Barassi was a six-time premiership player and two-time premiership captain at Melbourne during its most successful era, and at the age of 28 was still one of the biggest names in the game. His shift to Carlton remains one of the biggest player transfers in the game's history.<ref name="fpf3">{{cite web|url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/Carlton_part_3.htm|title=Carlton – Part Three: 1965 to 2010|first=John|last=Devaney|access-date=24 October 2011|publisher=Fullpointsfooty|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619231323/http://fullpointsfooty.net/Carlton_part_3.htm|archive-date=19 June 2010|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Also contributing to Carlton's success was the strength of the [[Bendigo Football League]], to which Carlton gained recruitment access through the VFL's [[Zoning (Australian rules football)|country zoning]] arrangements.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

Under Barassi, Carlton reached three consecutive Grand Finals between 1968 and 1970, resulting in two premierships: [[1968 VFL Grand Final|1968]] against Essendon and [[1970 VFL Grand Final|1970]] against traditional [[Carlton–Collingwood AFL rivalry|rivals]] Collingwood. The 1970 Grand Final remains one of the most famous matches in football history. Played in front of an enduring record crowd of 121,696, Collingwood dominated early to lead by 44 points at half time, but Carlton kicked seven goals in fifteen minutes after half time to narrow the margin to only three points; after a close final quarter, Carlton won its tenth VFL premiership with a ten-point victory. Carlton won its first and second [[Championship of Australia]] titles in 1968 and 1970, beating the [[SANFL]]'s [[Sturt Football Club]] in both seasons.<ref name="fpf3" />

Carlton missed the finals in 1971, and Barassi left the club at the end of the season, but Carlton returned to prominence the following year, and contested back-to-back Grand Finals. Both matches were against {{AFL Ric}}, with Carlton recording a high-scoring victory in [[1972 VFL Grand Final|1972]], and losing a rough, physical encounter in [[1973 VFL Grand Final|1973]].<ref name="fpf3" />

Of the legendary players from the Barassi era, none was more important than [[John Nicholls (footballer)|John Nicholls]], who captained all three premierships and took over as captain-coach upon Barassi's departure. Nicholls, a ruckman and forward, had played at Carlton since 1957, and he and [[Graham Farmer]] (who played with {{AFL Gee}} and in the [[West Australian Football League|WAFL]] during the same era) are regarded as the greatest ruckmen in the league's history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/vic_team_of_the_century_-_1st_ruck.htm#Ruckman%20-%20John%20Nicholls%20%28Carlton%29|title=Vic Team of the Century|first=John|last=Devaney|publisher=Fullpointsfooty|access-date=23 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110806071543/http://www.fullpointsfooty.net/vic_team_of_the_century_-_1st_ruck.htm#Ruckman%20-%20John%20Nicholls%20%28Carlton%29|archive-date=6 August 2011|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Midfielders [[Sergio Silvagni]] and [[Adrian Gallagher]], half-forward [[Robert Walls]], and ruckman [[Peter Jones (Australian rules footballer)|Percy Jones]] were also prominent throughout the Barassi era, and in 1970, [[Alex Jesaulenko]] became the first (and to date, only) Carlton forward to kick 100 goals in a season.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

=== 1975–82 ===

Carlton continued to play finals through the 1970s without premiership success, and went through several coaches in a short period of time: Nicholls (until 1975), [[Ian Thorogood]] (1976–77), [[Ian Stewart (Australian rules footballer)|Ian Stewart]] (for only three matches in 1978), and Alex Jesaulenko as playing coach after Stewart's departure.<ref name="fpf3" /> It was not until 1979 that Carlton again reached the [[1979 VFL Grand Final|Grand Final]], defeating {{AFL Col}} by five points in a close match best remembered for the late goal kicked by [[Ken Sheldon]], after [[Wayne Harmes]] tapped the ball into the goalsquare from the boundary line.{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

After the 1979 season, there was off-field instability at the board level. [[Ian Rice]] replaced George Harris as president,{{Ref|2|N 2}} and many of Harris' supporters left the club, including Jesaulenko, who went to {{AFL Stk}}. Percy Jones replaced Jesaulenko as coach in 1980, before {{AFL Haw}} coach [[David Parkin]] was recruited in 1981, Carlton's sixth coach in eight seasons.<ref name="fpf3" />

Despite the off-field troubles, Carlton continued to thrive on-field, and Parkin led the team to back-to-back premierships in [[1981 VFL Grand Final|1981]] and [[1982 VFL Grand Final|1982]], with victories in the Grand Finals against Collingwood and {{AFL Ric}} respectively. With its fourteenth premiership in 1982, Carlton overtook Collingwood to become the most successful club in the league's history, based on premierships won – a position it has held either outright or jointly with {{AFL Ess}} and {{AFL Col}} since.<ref name="fpf3" />

Starring on-field during this period for Carlton was [[Bruce Doull]], regarded as one of the best half-back flankers in the history of the league. [[Wayne Johnston (footballer)|Wayne Johnston]] was a prominent centreman/forward, and Carlton had great success recruiting high-profile Western Australian footballers to the club, including [[Mike Fitzpatrick (footballer)|Mike Fitzpatrick]], [[Ken Hunter]] and [[Peter Bosustow]].{{citation needed|date=October 2025}}

===1983–2001===
In 1983, [[John Elliott (businessman)|John Elliott]] took over the presidency from [[Ian Rice]]. On-field, the club endured three consecutive unsuccessful finals campaigns under Parkin before he was replaced by [[Robert Walls]] in 1986. Also in 1986, Carlton lured three of South Australia's top young players to the club: [[Stephen Kernahan]], [[Craig Bradley]] and [[Peter Motley]]. The club reached the next two Grand Finals, losing in [[1986 VFL Grand Final|1986]] and winning in [[1987 VFL Grand Final|1987]], both times against {{AFL Haw}}. Kernahan went on to become the club's longest serving captain and leading career goalkicker (738 goals), and Bradley became the club games record holder (375 games); Motley's career was unfortunately cut short by a non-fatal car accident in 1987. Carlton had also recruited [[Stephen Silvagni]] (son of [[Sergio Silvagni|Sergio]]) in 1985, who is now recognised as one of the greatest fullbacks of all-time, and secured the league's star player [[Greg Williams (Australian footballer)|Greg Williams]] in a trade in 1992.

David Parkin returned to coach the club from 1991 until 2000, and Carlton was a mainstay of the finals throughout most of this time. In 1995, Carlton became the first team to win twenty matches in a home-and-away season (finishing with a record of 20–2), and won the [[1995 AFL Grand Final|Grand Final]] against {{AFL Gee}} to claim its sixteenth premiership. Carlton reached two other Grand Finals during the 1990s, losing to Essendon in [[1993 AFL Grand Final|1993]] and to the [[Kangaroos Football Club|Kangaroos]] in [[1999 AFL Grand Final|1999]]; in 1999, Carlton had come from sixth on the home-and-away ladder to qualify for the Grand Final, famously beating its [[Carlton–Essendon AFL rivalry|rival]] Essendon (the [[List of Australian Football League minor premiers|minor premiers]]) by one point in the [[1999 AFL First Preliminary Final|preliminary final]].<ref name="fpf3" />

===Period of struggle (2002–2021)===
[[File:Carlton FC warmup.jpg|thumb|Carlton players during pre-game warmup]]
In 2002, Carlton swiftly fell from being one of the most successful clubs, both on-field and off-field, to one of the least successful. The club had been much slower than others to embrace the [[AFL draft]] as a means for recruitment, so when its champion players from the 1990s began to retire in the early 2000s, on-field performances fell away quickly, and in 2002, the club won the [[wooden spoon (award)|wooden spoon]] for the first time in its VFL/AFL history; it was the last of the twelve Victorian clubs to win the wooden spoon. At the same time, the club was starting to struggle financially, due to unwise investments under John Elliott – most significantly, building a new [[grandstand]] at [[Princes Park (stadium)|Princes Park]] during the 1990s, at a time when other clubs were finding it more profitable to play at the higher-capacity central venues.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://phorums.com.au/showthread.php?167437-Carlton-till-paying-quot-under-the-counter-quot-money&s=19ae247a96bae8cd23a4dd2c072d68f5|title=Carlton still paying "under-the-counter" money|first=Jake|last=Niall|newspaper=The Age|date=17 November 2005|access-date=30 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312184231/http://phorums.com.au/showthread.php?167437-Carlton-till-paying-quot-under-the-counter-quot-money&s=19ae247a96bae8cd23a4dd2c072d68f5|archive-date=12 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Then, at the end of 2002, it was revealed that Carlton had been systematically cheating the league [[salary cap]] during the early 2000s. The [[Carlton Football Club salary cap breach|scandal]] resulted in the loss of draft picks and a fine of $930,000, which exacerbated the club's poor on-field and off-field positions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/23/1037697938617.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021208081050/http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/23/1037697938617.html|title=Carlton backs to wall|first=Peter|last=Ker|date=24 November 2002|archive-date=8 December 2002}}</ref>

In the immediate fall-out from 2002, president [[John Elliott (businessman)|John Elliott]] was voted out by the members, and was replaced with [[Docklands Stadium]] CEO [[Ian Collins (footballer)|Ian Collins]]. Under Collins, the club shifted its home stadium from Princes Park to Docklands, with the final match played at Princes Park in 2005. Additionally, coach [[Wayne Brittain]] was sacked, and replaced with Kangaroos coach [[Denis Pagan]]. On-field performances did not improve under Pagan, and overall the club won three wooden spoons and finished in the bottom two five times between 2002 and 2007.<ref name="seasons" />

Carlton's overall position began to improve in 2007, when businessman [[Richard Pratt (Australian businessman)|Richard Pratt]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=2573 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080727223805/http://ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=2573|title= King Richard of Carlton|quote=Richard Pratt has been appointed the new president of the beleaguered Carlton Football Club|date=15 February 2007|access-date=25 June 2012|archive-date=27 July 2008}}</ref> [[Steven Icke]]<ref>[http://www.carltonfc.com.au/ Official Website of the Carlton Football Club] [http://carltonfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4311/Default.aspx?newsId=39119 Steven Icke joins Carlton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821161745/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4311/Default.aspx?newsId=39119 |date=21 August 2011 }} ''"Mr Steven Icke has been appointed the general manager Football Operations with the Carlton Football Club."'' Retrieved on 15 April 2007.</ref> and Collingwood's [[Greg Swann]]<ref>[http://www.carltonfc.com.au/ Official Website of the Carlton Football Club] [http://carltonfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4311/Default.aspx?newsId=39967 Greg Swann Joins Carlton] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110821161807/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4311/Default.aspx?newsId=39967 |date=21 August 2011 }} ''"The Board of the Carlton Football Club today announced that it has appointed Mr Greg Swann as CEO."'' Retrieved on 15 April 2007.</ref> came to the club as president, general manager of football operations, and CEO respectively; although Pratt's presidency lasted only sixteen months, after which he was replaced by [[Stephen Kernahan]],<ref>{{cite news|first=Sam|last=Lienert|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/football-australian-rules/sticks-says-club-will-stick-by-pratt/794752.aspx|title='Sticks' says club will stick by Pratt|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=28 June 2008|access-date=28 January 2012}}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> the new personnel stabilised the club's off-field position. Pagan was sacked as coach mid-season after a string of heavy defeats, and was replaced by former club captain and assistant coach [[Brett Ratten]]. Then, prior to the 2008 season, Carlton was able to secure a trade for {{AFL|WC}}'s [[Chris Judd]], one of the league's best midfielders, to join the club as captain. The time spent at the bottom of the ladder also allowed Carlton to secure three No. 1 draft picks – [[Marc Murphy (footballer)|Marc Murphy]], [[Bryce Gibbs (Australian rules footballer)|Bryce Gibbs]] and [[Matthew Kreuzer]] – who helped the club's on-field position. Brett Ratten led Carlton to the finals from 2009 until 2011, but was sacked with a year remaining on his contract after the club missed the finals in 2012,<ref>[https://archive.today/20121230090804/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/146148/default.aspx Brett Ratten retires] ''"Brett Ratten to coach his final game with Carlton on Sunday"'' Retrieved on 30 August 2012.</ref> and was replaced by former {{AFL|WC}} and {{AFL Col}} premiership coach [[Mick Malthouse]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/triple-premiership-coach-mick-malthouse-set-to-ink-deal-with-carlton/story-e6frf9jf-1226470925094|title=Triple-premiership coach Mick Malthouse signs three-year deal with Carlton|first=Matt|last=Windley|newspaper=Herald Sun|date=11 September 2012|access-date=11 September 2012}}</ref> Under Malthouse, the club returned to the finals in 2013, but fell to thirteenth in 2014.

Kernahan stepped aside in mid-2014, and was replaced by Mark LoGiudice, who presided over a period of mediocre onfield results. The relationship between Malthouse and the club's quickly and publicly deteriorated; and in early 2015, after giving a radio interview critical of the board, Malthouse was sacked<ref name="malthousedismissed">{{cite news|newspaper=Herald Sun|title=Mick Malthouse sacked: Carlton terminates veteran coach's contract after explosive radio interview|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/mick-malthouse-sacked-carlton-terminates-veteran-coachs-contract-after-explosive-radio-interview/story-fni5f5nx-1227369211781|author1=Michael Warner|author2=Mark Robinson|author3=Eliza Sewell|author4=Jon Anderson|date=26 May 2015 <!-- 16:34 --> |access-date=26 May 2015 <!-- 16:59 --> |publication-place=Melbourne}}</ref> the club going on to finish last. Former Hawthorn assistant coach [[Brendon Bolton]] took over as coach from the 2016 season,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-08-25/blues-set-to-announce-bolton-as-their-new-coach|title=Blues confirm Bolton as their new coach|last=Schmook|first=Nathan|date=25 August 2015|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=[[Bigpond]]|access-date=25 August 2015}}</ref> leading only into his fourth season before he too was sacked after overseeing the team's decline to another wooden spoon in 2018 with a 2–20 record, the worst win–loss record in its VFL/AFL history, followed by an equally weak 1–10 start to the 2019 season. Bolton's replacement, [[David Teague (footballer)|David Teague]], helped the club avoid the 2019 wooden spoon, but lasted only two years into a three-year contract without a finals appearance.<ref name="permanent">{{cite web|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/carlton/carlton-appoints-caretaker-david-teague-as-fulltime-coach/news-story/5af423c263f4a2060b21e8f57bae4611|title=Carlton appoints caretaker David Teague as full-time coach|publisher=Herald Sun|first=Michael|last=Warner|date=14 August 2019|access-date=14 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-08-26|title=David Teague sacked as Blues FINALLY act on controversial review|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/carlton-blues/afl-2021-david-teague-sacked-carlton-blues-carlton-coach-gone-record-replacement-football-department-review-news/news-story/7a0ccffc790c3ef4c068eb87ee9a8449|access-date=2021-08-26|website=Fox Sports|language=en}}</ref>

===Voss era (2022–present)===
LoGiudice handed over the presidency to [[Luke Sayers]] in August 2021, and Sayers conducted an extensive independent review of the football department during the second half of that season; Teague was sacked,<ref>{{Cite web|last=McClure|first=Sam|date=2021-06-07|title=Carlton to launch external review of football department|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/carlton-to-launch-external-review-of-football-department-20210607-p57yul.html|access-date=2021-08-16|website=The Age|language=en}}</ref> and [[Michael Voss]] was appointed senior coach.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-23/carlton-confirms-afl-great-michael-voss-as-coach/100485468|title=Carlton confirms AFL great Michael Voss as coach|newspaper=ABC News|date=23 September 2021|accessdate=24 September 2021|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref>

As of 2025, Voss has led the club in four seasons, and led the club to [[2023 AFL finals series|finals]] in his second and third seasons, ending what had become a club-record nine year VFL/AFL finals drought, with his best result a preliminary final defeat in 2023. During this time, Carlton achieved two of its greatest individual successes, with captain [[Patrick Cripps]] becoming the club's first dual Brownlow Medallist<ref>{{cite web|url=https://afltables.com/afl/brownlow/brownlow_idx.html|accessdate=19 October 2024|publisher=AFL Tables|title=Brownlow Medal Winners}}</ref> and full forward [[Charlie Curnow]] becoming the club's first back-to-back Coleman Medallist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/08/21/blues-pair-achieve-rare-feat-after-curnow-seals-coleman/|title=Blues pair achieve rare feat after Curnow seals Coleman|date=22 August 2022|accessdate=22 August 2022|publisher=SEN|author=Alex Zaia}}</ref> Sayers stood down as president in early 2025, replaced by Robert Priestly.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/1713603/priestley-appointed-president-of-the-carlton-football-club|title=Priestley appointed President of the Carlton Football Club|date=7 February 2025|publisher=Carlton Football Club}}</ref>

==Club symbols==
===Guernsey===
The current Carlton guernsey is navy blue, emblazoned with a white CFC [[monogram]] (which stands for "Carlton Football Club") on the front, and white numbers on the back. This guernsey design is specified in the club's constitution.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://resources.carltonfc.com.au/aflc-carl/document/2022/01/27/59fe6711-f75b-4d75-b948-d4d338132823/Annexure-A-Carlton-Football-Club-Constitution-Replacement-Feb-22-1-.pdf|title=Constitution Of Carlton Football Club Ltd|date=22 February 2022|accessdate=22 April 2025|publisher=Carlton Football Club}}</ref> Other than changes to the [[font]] of the monogram, this has been Carlton's guernsey continually since 1909.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.footyjumpers.com/|title=Carlton Home Jumpers|access-date=24 October 2011|publisher=Footyjumpers.com}}</ref> The club has worn navy blue in its uniform since 1871, when colour of the team's caps was changed from orange/yellow.<ref name="nicknames">{{cite web|url=http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Other+Club+Nicknames|title=Other Club Nicknames|publisher=Blueseum|access-date=24 October 2011}}</ref> The club's on-and-off field apparel was manufactured by [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] from 1998<ref>[http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2013-05-22/the-president-pays-a-visit-to-nike The President pays a visit to Nike], ''CARLTONFC.com.au'', 22 May 2013</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2008-09-11/carlton-and-nike-announce-longterm-partnership|title=Carlton and Nike Announce Long-Term Partnership|date=11 September 2008|access-date=28 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030150328/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2008-09-11/carlton-and-nike-announce-longterm-partnership|archive-date=30 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> until 2019,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2019-10-25/media-release-nike-partnership|title=Media release: Nike partnership|website=carltonfc.com.au|date=25 October 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-26}}</ref> and by [[Puma (brand)|Puma]] from 2020 until at least 2029.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/306554/blues-partner-with-puma-in-landmark-deal|title=Blues partner with PUMA in landmark deal|website=carltonfc.com.au|date=31 October 2019 |language=en|access-date=2020-01-03}}</ref>

The team wears navy blue shorts in home games, and white shorts in away games. Since the introduction of clash guernseys in 2007, Carlton has had several clash designs which have been mostly white, with navy blue monogram, numbers, trimmings and minor panels in a variety of combinations. Designs in predominantly sky blue (2011–2012) and silver (2018) have also been used.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.footyjumpers.com/carltonaway.htm|title=Carlton Away Jumpers|accessdate=6 July 2024 |publisher=Footyjumpers.com}}</ref>

===Nickname===
Carlton's official nickname is the 'Blues'. Since the addition of navy blue to the playing uniform in 1871, the club has been known almost universally in print media as the Blues, Dark Blues or Navy Blues. Other colloquial nicknames include Bluebaggers or 'Baggers.<ref name="nicknames" /> Prior to 1871, when the uniform was predominantly chamois, the club was known informally as the Butchers.

For a time after World War II, the club briefly considered changing its nickname to the Cockatoos, but this never formally eventuated;<ref name="nicknames" /> even so, the association with the nickname was strong enough that newspaper cartoons depicting a Carlton cockatoo were common.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Argus|publication-place=Melbourne|page=18|date=20 August 1956|title=They're out for the season}}</ref> The cockatoo connection derived from the talking cockatoo brought to home matches by club member Bob St. Marr for more than 30 years; intelligent enough to squawk its support for Carlton and loud enough to be heard over the crowd, 'Cocky Marr' had become an unofficial live [[mascot]] for the club until the bird's death in 1939.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Border Morning Mail|publication-place=Albury, NSW|title=Famous cockatoo dead|date=29 November 1939|page=2}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Herald|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=Carlton's mascot dead|page=3|date=28 November 1939}}</ref>

===Club song===
Carlton's club song is ''We Are the Navy Blues''. The lyrics are believed to have been written in around 1930 by cousins Irene McEldrew and Agnes Wright, who ran a boarding house for several club players and the latter of whom was the niece of then-coach [[Dan Minogue]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/562881/albys-book-sheds-further-light-on-songs-origins|title=Alby's book sheds further light on song's origins|date=12 February 2020|access-date=12 April 2021|author=Tony de Bolfo|publisher=Carlton Football Club}}</ref> It is sung to the tune of ''[[Lily of Laguna]]''.<ref>{{cite news |author=Benedict Brook |title=Campaigner who fought to get Coon cheese renamed calls on Carlton to change "racist" theme song |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/carlton/campaigner-who-fought-to-get-coon-cheese-renamed-calls-on-carlton-to-change-racist-theme-song/news-story/8b114119539dff6bb94161fe228416d4 |access-date=29 December 2022 |work=[[Herald Sun]] |date=11 April 2021}}</ref>

===Home grounds, headquarters, training and administrative base===
[[File:Princes park from air.jpg|thumb|Princes Park]]
The club's traditional home ground is [[Princes Park (stadium)|Princes Park]] (currently known as Ikon Park), located in [[North Carlton, Victoria|North Carlton]]. After struggling to find a permanent home venue during its time in the VFA, Carlton established Princes Park as its home venue when it joined the VFL in 1897.<ref name="fpf1" /> The club played most of its home matches at Princes Park every year between 1897 and 2004 (except for 2002, when it played only four home games there), and a single farewell game was staged at the venue in 2005. It was the last of the suburban home grounds{{Ref|3|N 3}} to be used in AFL competition. The venue remains Carlton's training and administrative base, and the club's current 40-year lease on the venue with the [[City of Melbourne]] runs until 2035.<ref name="financial report" />

Since 2005, Carlton has split its home games between [[Docklands Stadium]] and the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]], with six matches at the former and five at latter in most years. The matches expected to draw the highest crowds are usually scheduled for the Melbourne Cricket Ground.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Herald Sun|publication-place=Melbourne|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/carlton-will-play-six-home-games-at-the-mcg-in-2015-despite-campaign-for-more/story-fni5f5nx-1227062429807|author=Sam Edmund|date=18 September 2014|access-date=31 October 2014|title=Carlton will play six home games at the MCG in 2015 despite campaign for more}}</ref>

==Rivalries==
===Collingwood===
{{main|Carlton–Collingwood AFL rivalry}}
Carlton possesses a long and bitter rivalry with {{AFL Col}}, with the rivalry considered to be one of the most historic and significant in [[Sport in Australia|Australian sport]], dating back to their spiteful 1910 Grand Final.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brotherhoodbooks.org.au/books/great-australian-sporting-rivalries-9781760064488/|title=Great Australian Sporting Rivalries|work=Brotherhood Books|date=1 July 2013|author=Adam McNicol|quote=The big international rivalries that help to define us as a nation are covered: America’s Cup, Australia vs New Zealand in netball and rugby union, Shane Warne casting a spell over Daryll Cullinan. And the grand tales behind the national rivalries that hold us in thrall – '''Collingwood vs Carlton''' and New South Wales vs Queensland in rugby league – are there as well.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305132339/https://www.brotherhoodbooks.org.au/books/great-australian-sporting-rivalries-9781760064488/|archive-date=5 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=83|title=That Other Great War|date=1 October 2008|work=Blueseum.org|quote=It has been on the boil for over 100 years. Born in the first decades of the VFL, and fanned into flames during the Great Depression and two world wars, it has broken marriages, split life-long friendships and started riots. It has been a focus of every level of Australian society – from Prime Ministers to pensioners, from Archbishops to barmaids. And it has been typified by some of the most controversial and passionate games of Australian football ever played. It is Carlton versus Collingwood – still the greatest and most enduring rivalry in Australian sport.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305133037/http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=83|archive-date=5 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-season-2016-blues-versus-pies--is-the-deadly-enmity-dying-20160630-gpv7zv.html|date=1 July 2016|work=The Age|author=Greg Baum|title=AFL season 2016: Blues versus Pies – is the deadly enmity dying?|quote=Collingwood and Carlton share footy's longest-standing enmity. Many myths have grown up about the forces that shape it...The mythology has become harder to sustain...The fact is that the Collingwood-Carlton rivalry should by now have died, but has not. But for the sake of self-respect, if not existentially, it needs bigger stakes than mid-table consolidation, rescued pride and muted boasting rights. It needs a final, preferably knock-out, soon.}}</ref>

They have met six times in [[AFL Grand Final|Grand Finals]], with Carlton successful in all bar the first. Carlton home matches between the club contest the [[Richard Pratt (Australian businessman)|Richard Pratt]] Cup, and Collingwood home matches are designated as the '''[[Peter MacCallum|Peter Mac]] Cup'''. They also share the same amount of premierships, at 16.

===Essendon===
{{main|Carlton–Essendon AFL rivalry}}
Carlton also has rivalry with [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]]. With 16 premierships apiece, the two teams, along with Collingwood, are the joint most successful teams in the VFL/AFL history.

===Richmond===
Carlton has a rivalry with [[Richmond Football Club|Richmond]], with this rivalry based on geographical proximity and large supporter bases.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2013-09-02/a-great-traditional-rivalry|title = A great traditional rivalry| date=2 September 2013 }}</ref> The two teams contested four grand finals between 1969 and 1982,<ref name="ABC">Lonergan, Dan; [https://web.archive.org/web/20070610152638/http://www.abc.net.au/sport/columns/200704/s1896078.htm?afl "AFL arch rivals - a thing of the past"], 13 April 2007</ref> and since 2008 have met annually on a Thursday night in round 1 at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]], usually as the opening game of the season.

==Club honours==
{{see also|Carlton Football Club honour roll|Carlton Football Club premierships}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| colspan="4" style="background:#bdb76b;" align="center"| '''Premierships'''
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! style="width: 210px;" | Competition
! style="width: 145px;" | Level
!Wins
!Years won
|-
|rowspan=3 scope="row" style="text-align: left"|'''[[Australian Football League]]'''||[[List of VFL/AFL premiers|Seniors]]||16||[[1906 VFL Grand Final|1906]], [[1907 VFL Grand Final|1907]], [[1908 VFL Grand Final|1908]], [[1914 VFL Grand Final|1914]], [[1915 VFL Grand Final|1915]], [[1938 VFL Grand Final|1938]], [[1945 VFL Grand Final|1945]], [[1947 VFL Grand Final|1947]], [[1968 VFL Grand Final|1968]], [[1970 VFL Grand Final|1970]], [[1972 VFL Grand Final|1972]], [[1979 VFL Grand Final|1979]], [[1981 VFL Grand Final|1981]], [[1982 VFL Grand Final|1982]], [[1987 VFL Grand Final|1987]], [[1995 AFL Grand Final|1995]]
|-
|[[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|Reserves]] <small>(1919–1999)</small>||8||[[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|1926]], [[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|1927]], [[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|1928]], [[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|1951]], [[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|1953]], [[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|1986]], [[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|1987]], [[List of VFL/AFL reserves premiers|1990]]
|-
|[[List of VFL/AFL premiers#VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships|Under 19s]] <small>(1946–1991)</small>||6||[[List of VFL/AFL premiers#VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships|1948]], [[List of VFL/AFL premiers#VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships|1949]], [[List of VFL/AFL premiers#VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships|1951]], [[List of VFL/AFL premiers#VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships|1963]], [[List of VFL/AFL premiers#VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships|1978]], [[List of VFL/AFL premiers#VFL/AFL Thirds/Under-19s premierships|1979]]
|-
|'''[[Victorian Football League|Victorian Football Association]]'''||[[List of VFA/VFL premiers|Seniors]] <small>(1877–1896)</small>||2||[[1877 VFA season|1877]], [[1887 VFA season|1887]]
|-
|'''[[History of Australian rules football in Victoria (1859–1900)|Victorian Premiership]]'''||Seniors <small>(1870–1876)</small>||4||[[1871 Victorian football season|1871]], [[1873 Victorian football season|1873]], [[1874 Victorian football season|1874]], [[1875 Victorian football season|1875]]
|-
| colspan="4" style="background:#bdb76b;" align="center"| '''Other titles and honours'''
|-
|'''[[VFL/AFL pre-season competition|AFL pre-season competition]]'''||Seniors||3||[[1997 Ansett Australia Cup|1997]], [[2005 Wizard Home Loans Cup|2005]], [[2007 NAB Cup|2007]]
|-
||'''[[McClelland Trophy]]'''||Seniors||5||[[1969 VFL season|1969]], [[1979 VFL season|1979]], [[1985 VFL season|1985]] (tied), [[1987 VFL season|1987]], [[1995 AFL season|1995]]
|-
|'''[[Championship of Australia]]'''||Seniors||2||[[1968 Championship of Australia|1968]], [[1970 Championship of Australia|1970]]
|-
|'''[[Challenge Cup (Australian rules football)|Challenge Cup]]'''||Seniors||1||[[1871 Victorian football season|1871]]
|-
|'''[[Australian Football Championships Night Series|AFC Night Series]]'''||Seniors||1||[[1983 AFC Night Series|1983]]
|-
| colspan="4" style="background:#bdb76b;" align="center"| '''Finishing positions'''
|-
|rowspan=3 scope="row" style="text-align: left"| '''[[Australian Football League]]'''||[[List of Australian Football League minor premiers|Minor premiership]]||17||[[1906 VFL season|1906]], [[1907 VFL season|1907]], [[1908 VFL season|1908]], [[1910 VFL season|1910]], [[1914 VFL season|1914]], [[1916 VFL season|1916]], [[1921 VFL season|1921]], [[1932 VFL season|1932]], [[1938 VFL season|1938]], [[1941 VFL season|1941]], [[1947 VFL season|1947]], [[1972 VFL season|1972]], [[1976 VFL season|1976]], [[1979 VFL season|1979]], [[1981 VFL season|1981]], [[1987 VFL season|1987]], [[1995 AFL season|1995]] 
|-
||[[AFL Grand Final|Grand Finalist]]||13|| [[1904 VFL Grand Final|1904]], [[1909 VFL Grand Final|1909]], [[1910 VFL Grand Final|1910]], [[1916 VFL Grand Final|1916]], [[1921 VFL Grand Final|1921]], [[1932 VFL Grand Final|1932]], [[1949 VFL Grand Final|1949]], [[1962 VFL Grand Final|1962]], [[1969 VFL Grand Final|1969]], [[1973 VFL Grand Final|1973]], [[1986 VFL Grand Final|1986]], [[1993 AFL Grand Final|1993]], [[1999 AFL Grand Final|1999]]
|-
||[[List of VFL/AFL wooden spoons|Wooden spoons]]||5||[[2002 AFL season|2002]], [[2005 AFL season|2005]], [[2006 AFL season|2006]], [[2015 AFL season|2015]], [[2018 AFL season|2018]]
|-
|rowspan=2 scope="row" style="text-align: left"| '''[[AFL Women's]]'''||[[AFL Women's Grand Final|Grand Finalist]]||1||[[2019 AFL Women's Grand Final|2019]]
|-
||[[List of VFL/AFL wooden spoons#AFL Women's|Wooden spoons]]||1||[[2018 AFL Women's season|2018]]
|}

===Carlton Team of the Century===
{{Aussie rules team | title = Carlton's Team of the Century:
| backpocket1 = [[Bruce Comben]]
| fullback = [[Stephen Silvagni]]*
| backpocket2 = [[Geoff Southby]]
| halfbackflank1 = [[John James (Australian rules footballer)|John James]]
| centrehalfback = [[Bert Deacon]]
| halfbackflank2 = [[Bruce Doull]]*
| wing1 = [[Garry Crane]]
| centre = [[Greg Williams (Australian footballer)|Greg Williams]]*
| wing2 = [[Craig Bradley]]
| halfforwardflank1 = [[Wayne Johnston (footballer)|Wayne Johnston]]
| centrehalfforward = [[Stephen Kernahan]] (Captain)
| halfforwardflank2 = [[Alex Jesaulenko]]*
| forwardpocket1 = [[Ken Hands]]
| fullforward = [[Harry Vallence]]
| forwardpocket2 = [[Rod Ashman]]
| ruck = [[John Nicholls (footballer)|John Nicholls]]*
| ruckrover = [[Sergio Silvagni]]
| rover = [[Adrian Gallagher]]
| interchange1 = [[Robert Walls]]
| interchange2 = [[Mike Fitzpatrick (footballer)|Mike Fitzpatrick]]
| interchange3 = [[Ken Hunter]]
| interchange4 = [[Trevor Keogh]]
| interchange5 =
| interchange6 =
| coach = [[David Parkin]].
}}
Four emergencies were also named: (1) [[Laurie Kerr]], (2) [[Bob Chitty]], (3) [[Horrie Clover]] and (4) [[Rod McGregor]]. The five players with an [[asterisk]](*) are also members of the [[AFL Team of the Century]] – the largest number of any AFL club.

==Hall of Fame==
The Carlton Football Club established its Hall of Fame in 1987, with nine inaugural inductees. Each year between 1988 and 2001 an additional three to five people were inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame. After a five-year break, an additional ten people were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/146257/the-carlton-hall-of-fame|title=The Carlton Hall of Fame|date=26 March 2011|publisher=Carlton Football Club}}</ref> As of May 2016, there have been 77 inductees.

A year after the AFL added a Legends category to the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]], Carlton added a Legends category to its hall of fame in 1997. As of 2023, there are 16 Legends in the Hall of Fame: [[Craig Bradley]], [[Bert Deacon]], [[Bruce Doull]], [[Alex Jesaulenko]], [[Wayne Johnston (footballer)|Wayne Johnston]], [[Stephen Kernahan]], [[John Nicholls (footballer)|John Nicholls]], [[Stephen Silvagni]] and [[Harry Vallence]] (all elevated in 1997); [[Ken Hands]] (2006); [[Robert Walls]] (2011);<ref>{{citation|page=79|title=Inside Carlton|year=2012|publisher=Carlton Football Club|publication-place=Carlton North, Victoria|editor-first=Ian|editor-last=Coutts}}</ref> [[Geoff Southby]] (2013);<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/geoff-southby-david-rhys-jones-in-blues-hof/story-e6frf9jf-1226596938155|title=Geoff Southby, David Rhys-Jones in Blues HOF|date=14 March 2013|access-date=14 March 2013|newspaper=Herald Sun}}</ref> [[Sergio Silvagni]] (2016);<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Herald Sun|publication-place=Melbourne|title=Sergio Silvagni follows son Stephen Silvagni as a Carlton legend|date=29 April 2016|author=Ron Reed|access-date=30 April 2016|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/carlton/sergio-silvagni-follows-son-stephen-silvagni-as-a-carlton-legend/news-story/49d3952feb6416e8668543a52e59b83e}}</ref> [[David McKay (Australian footballer)|David McKay]] (2021); and [[Horrie Clover]] and [[Ian Collins (footballer)|Ian Collins]] (2023).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/867293/david-mckay-officially-a-carlton-legend|title=David McKay officially a Carlton Legend|date=24 February 2021|accessdate=8 March 2021|publisher=Carlton Football Club}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Official AFL Website of the Carlton Football Club |url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/club/history/hall-of-fame |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=carltonfc.com.au |language=en}}</ref>

==Individual awards==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}{{col-break}}

===John Nicholls Medallists===
Known as "Robert Reynolds Trophy" until 2003
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! No. !! Player!!Years won
|-
| rowspan="2"| 5 || [[John Nicholls (footballer)|John Nicholls]] || 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967
|-
|[[Patrick Cripps]] || 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024
|-
|4 || [[Bruce Doull]] || 1974, 1977, 1980, 1984
|-
|rowspan="6"| 3 || [[Craig Bradley]] || 1986, 1988, 1993
|-
|[[John James (Australian rules footballer)|John James]]||1955, 1960, 1961
|-
|[[Chris Judd]] || 2008, 2009, 2010
|-
|[[Stephen Kernahan]] || 1987, 1989, 1992
|-
|[[Brett Ratten]] || 1995, 1997, 2000
|}

===Brownlow Medallists===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Player<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/ Official Website of the AFL] [http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/brownlow.shtml List of Brownlow Medal winners] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504141459/http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/brownlow.shtml |date=4 May 2007 }} Retrieved on 14 April 2007.</ref>!!Year won
|-
|[[Bert Deacon]]||1947
|-
|[[John James (Australian rules footballer)|John James]]||1961
|-
|[[Gordon Collis]]||1964
|-
|[[Greg Williams (Australian footballer)|Greg Williams]]||1994
|-
|[[Chris Judd]]||2010
|-
|[[Patrick Cripps]]||2022, 2024
|}
{{col-end}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}

===League leading goalkickers===
VFL/AFL except where noted. Awarded the [[Coleman Medal]] since 1955.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Player!!Year won<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/aflhq/awards/colemanmedal/previouswinners/tabid/15089/default.aspx Previous Winners – The Coleman Medal] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924113126/http://www.afl.com.au/aflhq/awards/colemanmedal/previouswinners/tabid/15089/default.aspx |date=24 September 2012 }} Retrieved on 25 June 2012.</ref>
|-
|[[George Coulthard]]||1878, 1879, 1880 <small>(VFA)</small>
|-
|E. Brooks||1881 <small>(VFA)</small>
|-
|[[Mick Grace]]||1906
|-
|[[Ern Cowley]]||1918
|-
|[[Horrie Clover]]||1922
|-
|[[Harry Vallence]]||1931
|-
|[[Tom Carroll (Australian footballer)|Tom Carroll]]||1961
|-
|[[Brendan Fevola]]||2006, 2009
|-
|[[Harry McKay]]||2021
|-
|[[Charlie Curnow]]||2022, 2023
|}
{{col-break}}

===Norm Smith Medallists===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Player<ref>[http://www.afl.com.au/ Official Website of the AFL] [https://web.archive.org/web/20070305081013/http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/Awards/NormSmithMedal/tabid/269/Default.aspx Norm Smith Medalists] Retrieved on 14 April 2007.</ref>!!Year won
|-
|[[Wayne Harmes]]||1979
|-
|[[Bruce Doull]]||1981
|-
|[[David Rhys-Jones]]||1987
|-
|[[Greg Williams (Australian footballer)|Greg Williams]]||1995
|}
{{col-end}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}

===Mark of the Year winners===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Player!!Year won
|-
|[[Alex Jesaulenko]]||1970
|-
|[[Peter Bosustow]]||1981
|-
|[[Ken Hunter]]||1983
|-
|[[Stephen Silvagni]]||1988
|-
|[[Matthew Lappin]]||1999
|-
|[[Sam Walsh (footballer)|Sam Walsh]]||2020
|}
{{col-break}}

===Goal of the Year winners===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Player!!Year won
|-
|[[Peter Bosustow]]||1981
|-
|[[Eddie Betts]]||2006
|-
|[[Chris Yarran]]||2012
|}
{{col-end}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}

===Leigh Matthews Trophy winners===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Player!!Year won
|-
|[[Greg Williams (Australian footballer)|Greg Williams]]||1994
|-
|[[Anthony Koutoufides]]||2000
|-
|[[Chris Judd]]||2011
|-
|[[Patrick Cripps]]||2019
|}
{{col-break}}
{{col-end}}

===Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees===
Twenty-five people have been inducted into the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]] for their services to football for careers which were either partially or entirely served with the Carlton Football Club. Of those, three have Legend status in the Hall of Fame.

;Legends
[[Ron Barassi]], [[Alex Jesaulenko]], [[John Nicholls (footballer)|John Nicholls]]

;Players
[[Peter Bedford (sportsman)|Peter Bedford]], [[Craig Bradley]], [[Horrie Clover]], [[George Coulthard]], [[Bruce Doull]], [[Ken Hands]], [[Ern Henfry]], [[Ken Hunter]], [[Wayne Johnston (footballer)|Wayne Johnston]], [[Chris Judd]],
[[Stephen Kernahan]], [[Anthony Koutoufides]], [[Rod McGregor]], [[Peter McKenna (Australian footballer)|Peter McKenna]], [[Stephen Silvagni]], [[Geoff Southby]], [[Harry Vallence]], [[Robert Walls]], [[Greg Williams (Australian footballer)|Greg Williams]].

;Coaches
[[Mick Malthouse]], [[David Parkin]], [[Jack Worrall]]

;Administrators
[[Mike Fitzpatrick (footballer)|Mike Fitzpatrick]], [[Sir Kenneth Luke]]

==Current playing squad==
{{Carlton Football Club AFL personnel}}

==Corporate and administration==
Since 1978 the club has operated as the [[incorporated company]] Carlton Football Club Limited.<ref name="financial report">{{cite web|url=http://footyindustry.com/files/afl/club_docs/Carlton/Carlton%202016%20Annual%20Report.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://footyindustry.com/files/afl/club_docs/Carlton/Carlton%202016%20Annual%20Report.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Carlton Football Club 152nd Annual Financial Report|year=2016|access-date=25 November 2017}}</ref>

===Board of directors===
'''President''' – Robert Priestley

'''Board members''' – David Campbell, Patty Kinnersly, [[Greg Williams (Australian footballer)|Greg Williams]], Lahra Carey, Helen Kurincic, Michael Burn and Christopher Townshend.

===Chief Executive Officers===
CEOs since 1980.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:##800000;"
! Incumbent!! Term
|-
|Jim Allison|| 1980–1981
|-
|[[Ian Collins (Australian)|Ian Collins]] || 1981–1993
|-
|Stephen Gough|| 1994–1999
|-
|John Gurrieri || 2000
|-
|Don Hanly|| 2001–2002
|-
|[[Michael Malouf]]|| 2003–2007
|-
|[[Greg Swann]] || 2007–2014
|-
|Steven Trigg|| 2014–2017
|-
|[[Cain Liddle]]|| 2017–2021
|-
|[[Brian Cook (football administrator)|Brian Cook]]|| 2021–2025
|-
|[[Graham Wright]]|| 2025-
|}

===Sponsorship===

====AFL====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Year !! Kit Manufacturer !! Major Sponsor !! Shorts Sponsor !! Bottom Back Sponsor !! Top Back Sponsor
|-
| 1977–88 || rowspan="6"| - || [[Avco]]||rowspan="2"| - ||rowspan="3"| - ||rowspan="18"| -
|-
| 1989–93 || rowspan="2"| [[Carlton & United Breweries]]
|-
| 1994 || [[Bertolli]]
|-
| 1995 || rowspan=4| [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] || [[Brashs]] || rowspan=4| [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]]
|-
| 1996 || Delta Car Rental
|-
| 1997 || rowspan=2| [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]]
|-
| 1998–2000 || rowspan=11| [[Nike Inc|Nike]]
|-
| 2001–03 || [[Mayne Group|Mayne]] || [[Mayne Group|Mayne]] || [[Mayne Group|Mayne]]
|-
| 2004 || [[Toshiba|Toshiba Home Theatre]] || Mediplan || [[Toshiba|Toshiba Home Theatre]]
|-
| 2005–07 || [[Dan Murphy's]] (Home) [[Optus]] (Away)|| [[K&S Freighters]] || [[Optus]] (Home) [[Dan Murphy's]] (Away)
|-
| 2008 || [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Home) [[Optus]] (Away) || [[Visy]]||[[Optus]] (Home) [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Away)
|-
| 2009 || [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Home) Malaysia Truly Asia (Away) || rowspan=2| [[Optus]]||Malaysia Truly Asia (Home) [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Away)
|-
| 2010–13 || Rowspan=2| [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Home) [[Mars bar|Mars]] (Away) || Rowspan=2| [[Mars bar|Mars]] (Home) [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Away)
|-
| 2014–15 || Rowspan=2| Acquire Learning
|-
| 2016 || [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Home) CareerOne (Away) ||CareerOne (Home) [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Away)
|-
| 2017 || Rowspan=3| [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Home) [[Virgin Australia]] (Away) || CareerOne ||Rowspan=3| [[Virgin Australia]] (Home) [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Away)
|-
| 2018–19 || Rowspan=3| [[La Trobe University]]
|-
| 2020 || rowspan="4"| [[Puma (brand)|Puma]]
|-
| 2021-22 ||rowspan="3"| [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Home) [[Great Southern Bank]] (Away) || rowspan="3"| [[Great Southern Bank]] (Home) [[Hyundai Group|Hyundai]] (Away) ||rowspan="2"| [[TripADeal]]
|-
| 2023 || rowspan="2"| [[Bupa]]
|-
| 2024- || [[Ampol]]
|}

====AFL Women's====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Year !! Kit Manufacturer !! Major Sponsor !! Shorts Sponsor !! Bottom Back Sponsor !! Top Back Sponsor
|-
| 2017-18 || rowspan="6"| [[Cotton On Group|Cotton On]] || rowspan="6"| [[Hyundai]] || [[ZTE]] || rowspan="2"| MC Labour || rowspan="2"| -
|-
| 2019-20 || rowspan="2"| Bioglan
|-
| 2021 || Wheezo || rowspan="4"| [[Big Ant Studios]]
|-
| 2022 S6 || rowspan="2"| That's Amore Cheese || Endeavour Petroleum
|-
| 2022 S7 || rowspan="2"| [[Great Southern Bank]]
|-
| 2023- || [[Bupa]]
|}

===Individual records===

====Most career goals====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Player<ref name="alltime">[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/alltime/carlton.html All Time Player List] Retrieved on 25 June 2012</ref>!!Career Years!!Goals
|-
|[[Stephen Kernahan]]|| 1986–1997||738
|-
|[[Harry "Soapy" Vallence]]|| 1926–1938 || 722
|-
|[[Brendan Fevola]]||1999–2009||575
|-
|[[Alex Jesaulenko]]|| 1967–1979 ||424
|-
|[[Horrie Clover]] || 1920–1924, <br />1926–1931 ||398
|}

====Most career games====
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Player<ref name="alltime"/>!!Career Years!!Games
|-
|[[Craig Bradley]]|| 1986–2002 ||375
|-
|[[Bruce Doull]]|| 1969–1986 ||356
|-
|[[Kade Simpson]] || 2003– 2020 ||342
|-
|[[John Nicholls (footballer)|John Nicholls]]|| 1957–1974 ||328
|-
|[[Stephen Silvagni]] || 1985–2001 ||312
|}

===VFL/AFL match records===
*'''Most goals in a game:''' 13 by Horrie Clover vs. {{AFL Stk}} in 1921
*'''Highest score:''' 30.30 (210) vs. [[Hawthorn Football Club|Hawthorn]] on 12 April 1969
*'''Lowest score:''' 0.6 (6) vs. [[Collingwood Football Club|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
*'''Highest losing score:''' 22.13 (145) v North Melbourne on 15 April 1985
*'''Lowest winning score:''' 3.6 (24) v [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]] on 24 June 1899
*'''Record attendance (home and away game):''' 91,571, 21 July 2000 at [[MCG]] v [[Essendon Football Club|Essendon]]
*'''Record attendance (finals match):''' 121,696, Grand Final, 26 September 1970 v [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]].

==Reserves team==
Carlton's seconds/reserves team was established in 1919; it operated semi-independently of the senior club until 1936, when the senior club's committee fully took over its operations.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Herald|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=Seniors to manage second 18|date=29 February 1936|page=19}}</ref> From 1919 to 1991 the VFL/AFL operated a [[reserve team|reserves competition]], and from 1992 to 1999 a ''de facto'' AFL reserves competition was run by the [[Victorian State Football League]]. The Carlton Football Club fielded a reserves team in both of these competitions, allowing players who were not selected for the senior team to play for Carlton in the lower grade. During that time, the Carlton reserves team won eight premierships (1926, 1927, 1928, 1951, 1953, 1986, 1987, 1990). Following the demise of the AFL reserves competition, the Carlton reserves team competed in the new [[Victorian Football League]] for three seasons from 2000 until 2002.

The reserves team was dissolved at the end of 2002, and Carlton entered a [[Australian Football League reserves affiliations|reserves affiliation]] with existing VFL club, the [[Northern Blues Football Club|Northern Bullants]]. Under the affiliation, reserves players for Carlton played VFL football with the Northern Bullants. The partnership between the two clubs was strengthened in 2012, when the Northern Bullants were renamed the Northern Blues and they adopted Carlton's navy blue colours, and the club split its home games between the VFL club's traditional home, the [[Preston City Oval]]; and Carlton's traditional home, Ikon Park.

Carlton terminated the affiliation with the Northern Blues in early 2020, as a cost saving measure during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and re-established a dedicated reserves team in the VFL for the [[2021 VFL season|2021 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/581213/carlton-and-northern-blues-forced-to-cease-alignment|title=Carlton and Northern Blues forced to cease alignment|date=26 March 2020|publisher=Carlton Football Club|access-date=26 March 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|title=Heartbreak as Carlton call sees VFL club with 138-year history go under|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/carlton-forced-to-end-northern-blues-alignment-due-to-budget-cuts-20200326-p54e8h.html|author1=Peter Ryan|author2=Daniel Cherny|date=26 March 2020|access-date=26 March 2020}}</ref>

===Development systems===
Under the AFL's 2016 plan to establish club-branded Next Generation Academies across Australia to give all AFL clubs a more active role in junior development, Carlton was allocated the northern metropolitan zone of Melbourne. The academy is linked to the Preston-based [[Northern Knights Football Club|Northern Knights]] in the [[TAC Cup|statewide under-18s]] system.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2016-02-04/blues-allocated-region-for-academy|title=Blues allocated region for academy|date=4 February 2016|access-date=6 February 2016|author=Peter Ryan}}</ref>

Since 2019, the club has operated the Carlton College of Sports, a higher education institution in partnership with [[La Trobe University]], which offers sports education diplomas and is operated out of the redeveloped grandstands at Ikon Park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/articles/2018/release/carlton-college-of-sport-launched|date=31 August 2018|access-date=17 January 2021|publisher=La Trobe University|title=Carlton College of Sport launched}}</ref>

==Women's teams==
[[File:Carlton Team Pic 03.02.17.jpg|thumb|The Carlton team is photographed ahead of the first AFL Women's match in February 2017]]
The Carlton Football Club operates two senior women's teams: one team in the national [[AFL Women's]] competition, which it has fielded since the 2017 AFLW season; and one team in the state [[Victorian Football League#VFL Women's|VFL Women's]] competition, which has been fielded since the 2018 VFLW season.

===History===
Carlton was a key cog in the establishment of Women's football in the state of Victoria. In August 1933 the club hosted the first ever VFL sanctioned match between women's teams, with sides representing Carlton and Richmond. Though Richmond's side was not associated directly with the VFL club of the same name, the Carlton side was picked and trained by the club with VFL players [[Mickey Crisp]] and [[Ray Brew]] as coaches. The match, played at Carlton's home [[Princes Park (stadium)|Princes Park]] drew an estimated crowd of 10,000 and raised funds as part of a VFL bye-week carnival for The Royal Melbourne Hospital.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brunette Lenkic & Rob Hess|title=Play On! – The Hidden History of Women's Australian Rules Football|date=2016|publisher=Echo Publishing|location=Richmond, Victoria|isbn=9781760063160|page=77}}</ref>

The club next fielded a women's team more than a decade later when it competed in a 1947 charity exhibition series raising funds in support of [[Rationing in the United Kingdom#Post-Second World War 1945–1954|food shortages]] in post-war [[Commonwealth realm|Commonwealth]] countries. The club's team played multiple matches in multiple series that season including a match against [[Western Bulldogs|Footscray]] in July and a subsequent series against {{AFL Haw}}, [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]], {{AFL Stk}} and Footscray in August 1947.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Brunette Lenkic & Rob Hess|title=Play On! – The Hidden History of Women's Australian Rules Football|date=2016|publisher=Echo Publishing|location=Richmond, Victoria|isbn=9781760063160|page=111}}</ref>

===AFL Women's team===
{{Update|date=November 2025 |reason=Andrew McKay's article says he stepped down from that role years ago |section}}
{{see also|Carlton Football Club honour roll#Women's seniors}}
In June 2016, Carlton was granted a licence to establish and field a team in the eight team [[AFL Women's]] league, which was set to stage its inaugural season in February–March 2017. The team is run and fully integrated within the Carlton Football Club, with football operation initially overseen by existing Head of Football [[Andrew McKay (Australian footballer)|Andrew McKay]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-06-15/eight-teams-named-for-inaugural-womens-league|author=Bruce Matthews|date=15 June 2016|access-date=15 June 2016|title=Eight teams named for inaugural women's league|publisher=Australian Football League}}</ref><ref name=keeping/> Damien Keeping served as the team's inaugural head coach,<ref name=keeping>{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2016-06-30/womens-coach-unveiled|date=30 June 2016|access-date=14 October 2016|title=Women's coach unveiled|publisher=Bigpond|work=Carlton FC}}</ref> and the club's existing Female Football Ambassador, [[Lauren Arnell]], served as the inaugural captain;<ref name=womensspons>{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2016-04-08/global-brands-commit-to-carltons-womens-team-bid|date=8 April 2016|access-date=14 October 2016|title=Global brands commit to Carlton's women's team bid|publisher=Bigpond|work=Carlton FC}}</ref> she, along with Marquee players<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-07-27/sixteen-of-the-best-womens-league-marquee-players-named|date=27 July 2016|access-date=14 October 2016|title=Sixteen of the best: women's marquees named|publisher=Bigpond|work=AFL.com.au}}</ref> and [[Darcy Vescio]] and [[Brianna Davey]] were the club's inaugural marquee signings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afl.com.au/womens/draft|access-date=14 October 2016|title=Draft|publisher=Bigpond|work=AFL.com.au|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107230252/http://www.afl.com.au/womens/draft|archive-date=7 November 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2018, the [[Western Bulldogs]] and Carlton women's teams held the first Pride game in the AFLW, to celebrate [[gender diversity]], promote inclusion for [[LGBTIQA+]] players, and to help stamp out [[homophobia]]. After being joined by other clubs, in 2020, the first full [[Pride Round (AFLW)|AFLW Pride Round]] was held in 2021, supported by all 18 clubs in the league.<ref>{{cite web | title=History of AFLW Pride | website=Western Bulldogs | date=18 January 2022 | url=https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/1048534/history-of-aflw-pride | access-date=8 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=AFL welcomes first AFLW Pride Round | website=AFL NSW / ACT | date=4 February 2021 | url=https://aflnswact.com.au/afl-welcomes-first-aflw-pride-round/ | access-date=8 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Bourke | first=Ed | title=AFL challenged to embrace own pride round | website=The Australian | date=3 November 2023 | url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/aflw-players-hope-afl-can-deliver-own-pride-round-message/news-story/49aaf0625f5c116a4fc15fb92eb20242?nk=7e343132852968b095eea73770a437a7-1709857685 | access-date=8 March 2024}}</ref>

In its history, the team has played in one grand final, which it lost against [[Adelaide Football Club#AFL Women's team|Adelaide]] in [[2019 AFL Women's Grand Final|2019]].{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

;Current squad
{{Carlton Football Club AFL Women's personnel}}

===VFL Women's team===
{{see also|Carlton Football Club honour roll#Women's reserves}}
Prior the 2018 season, Carlton was granted a licence to field a team in the [[Victorian Football League#VFL Women's|VFL Women's]] competition. The VFLW team originally operated under a separate program to the club's AFLW team,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2017-10-11/blues-secure-vflw-licence|date=11 October 2017|access-date=11 October 2017|publisher=Carlton Football Club|title=Blues secure VFLW licence}}</ref> however in 2021 the VFLW was formally aligned with the AFLW competition, similar to the men's AFL/VFL system.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/832394|title=VFLW to align with AFLW competition in 2021|work=Carlton FC|date=29 October 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Sports|Victoria
}}
*[[:Category:Carlton Football Club players]]
*[[List of Carlton Football Club coaches]]

==Footnotes==
:1.{{note|1}} Specifically, Carlton's 19–1 record set a record for the best win–loss percentage across a full season, including finals, which stood until {{AFL Ess}} broke it in the [[2000 AFL season]] with a record of 24–1. The record was matched twice before it was broken: by {{AFL Col}} in 1929, and Essendon in 1950.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/teams/allteams/season.html|title=Season Records|access-date=8 October 2011|publisher=AFL Tables}}</ref>
:2.{{note|2}} Harris had served two tenures as Carlton president: from 1965–1974, then from 1978–1979.
:3.{{note|3}} The "suburban grounds" is a collective term generally understood to mean all venues in Melbourne, except for the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]], [[Docklands Stadium]] and [[Waverley Park]].

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* [http://www.blueseum.org/ Blueseum – History of the Carlton Football Club] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119221248/http://www.blueseum.org/ |date=19 November 2008 }}

{{Carlton Football Club}}
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[[Category:Carlton Football Club| ]]
[[Category:Australian rules football clubs established in 1864]]
[[Category:Australian Football League clubs]]
[[Category:Australian rules football clubs in Melbourne]]
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