Carlton–Collingwood rivalry

Bill Strickland as a Carlton player

Bill Strickland first played in the VFA for Carlton in 1885, and in 1887, was vice-captain as the Blues won their second VFA premiership.

At the start of 1893, Collingwood convinced Strickland to leave Carlton and play for them, in one of the first major player movements in Australian rules football history. Carlton did not show any bitterness towards Collingwood or Strickland, but his move would change the history and fortunes of Collingwood.

Strickland's arrival at Collingwood quickly turned the club into premiership contenders, and in 1896, Strickland would captain Collingwood to victory over South Melbourne in a play-off match to win the club's first ever premiership.

In 1897, both Collingwood and Carlton were part of the eight teams which broke away from the VFA to form the Victorian Football League. In Round 7 of the 1897 VFL season, the clubs played against each other in their first encounter in the new VFL. This was Carlton's first home game at Princes Park, its new home venue upon entering the VFL, and which would remain its home ground until 2005. Collingwood 6.4 (40) defeated Carlton 5.6 (36).[7]

In 112 years, the two clubs have played in 22 Finals against each other.

Their first meeting in a final was the 1903 semi-final. Collingwood won by 4 points before going on to win their second VFL Premiership.

They have not played against each other in a final since the 1988 Qualifying Final, which Carlton won by 38 points.

Collingwood and Carlton have met in six VFL Grand Finals. Collingwood won the first (1910), and Carlton won the other five (1915, 1938, 1970, 1979 and 1981). The 1970 Grand Final is regarded as one of the league's all-time classic games, played in front of the largest ever crowd of 121,696, featuring a famous specky by Alex Jesaulenko, and won by Carlton after recovering from a 44-point half-time deficit.

Dick Lee's Screamer in 1914

In round 1 of the 1914 VFL season, Collingwood hosted Carlton at Victoria Park. It was during this game when Collingwood's full-forward, Dick Lee, took one of the most recognised marks of all time. As a result, Lee had broken the ankle strap on his boot after taking the mark. He removed his boots and kicked the goal with his bare foot. This match was the first VFL draw between the clubs. Collingwood 8.8 (56) drew Carlton 6.20 (56)

Many Carlton and Collingwood players worked in the local brewery, as did Collingwood coach Jock McHale, who was a foreman. It was therefore a suspicious coincidence when, on the morning of the 1938 VFL Grand Final between two sides, Carlton captain-coach Brighton Diggins was rostered to clean barrels in the brewery steam room, while Collingwood acting captain Albert Collier had the day off. Carlton won the match.[11]

In front of 112,838 people at the MCG, the two rivals put on a show in the semi-final of 1970. It was the second time since 1945 that the sides had met in a final. And the game would go down to the wire.

Alex Jesaulenko of Carlton kicked 8 goals for the day and Collingwood's Peter McKenna topped the goal kickers list with 9.[13] The final margin was ten points, with Collingwood 17.16 (118) defeating Carlton 17.6 (108).

During the 1970 Grand Final, Alex Jesaulenko leapt upon Collingwood ruckman Graeme Jenkin to the commentary of Mike Williamson shouting "Oh Jesaulenko, you beauty!".[14] The mark was the first to be recognised officially as the Mark of the Year, now awarded annually as the Alex Jesaulenko Medal.

After Carlton's narrow victory over Collingwood in the 1979 VFL Grand Final, Carlton president George Harris famously stirred up the rivalry when he proclaimed "What's better than beating Collingwood by ten goals? Beating them by five points!"[15]

On Anzac Day 1984, 68,082 people sat on the edge of their seats in the dying seconds at Waverley Park, as Warren Ralph of Carlton was given a controversial free kick against Collingwood's Peter McCormack. With Collingwood six points in front, the final siren had sounded seconds after the umpire had called the free kick; 25 metres out from goal, Ralph needed to kick a goal to force a draw. His shot narrowly missed for a minor score, seeing Collingwood win by five points.

Collingwood 10.16 (76) defeated Carlton 9.17 (71).[16]

Each team has once had a player kick a memorable Goal of the Year against the other.

External video
Mick McGuane's famous 7-bounce goal of the year in 1994

In Round 2, 1994, Collingwood's Michael McGuane received the ball and ran from the centre-square along the wing and half-forward flank, closing to 30 metres and kicking it through the goals. He bounced the ball a total of seven times during the famous run, winning the Goal of the Year award for 1994.

Twelve years later, in Round 21, 2006, Carlton's Eddie Betts smothered a handball in defence from Collingwood's Tarkyn Lockyer, gathered the ball just inside the boundary line, and kicked a goal with banana kick from the tight angle while under pressure from Magpie defender Simon Prestigiacomo, to win the 2006 Goal of the Year award.[17]

On New Year's Eve 1999, the AFL celebrated the start of a new millennium with an early pre-season Ansett Cup match between the two rivals at the MCG.[18] The game and event were both disappointments; fewer than 20,000 spectators attended, when a much higher crowd was expected,[19] and Carlton won an uncompetitive match by 88 points. The game is best remembered for a young Brendan Fevola, who at this stage had played only two senior games, kicking twelve goals for Carlton.

Carlton 20.17 (137) defeated Collingwood 7.7 (49).

Since 1987, games between the clubs were no longer scheduled at their traditional suburban home grounds of Princes Park and Victoria Park; to suit the larger crowds, all games had been scheduled for the M.C.G. and Waverley Park.

However, in Round 18, 2000, the teams met for one final suburban game, due to a minimum contract of games to be played at Princes Park for season 2000. Carlton fans would not be disappointed, seeing the Blues kick eleven goals to one in the third quarter and ultimately record a 111-point win, the greatest margin in any game between the two rivals.[20] Carlton 28.12 (180) defeated Collingwood 10.9 (69).

Collingwood exacted revenge in Round 18 of the 2002 AFL season. In Nathan Buckley's 200th game, Collingwood showed no mercy to the Blues with a massive record-breaking 108-point victory, helping Carlton receive their first AFL wooden spoon.[21] To add insult to injury, Joffa Corfe waved a giant wooden spoon around throughout the game. Collingwood 21.15 (141) defeated Carlton 4.9 (33).

Both teams were out of finals contention when they met in the last round of the 2004 season. But when Carlton and Collingwood came together at the MCG, the ladder positions became irrelevant,[22] as they would record the largest home-and-away crowd for the 2004 season.

Collingwood started strong in the first half but their poor kicking in front of goal kept the door open for the Blues. After a five-goal third quarter, the Blues took the lead before a late Magpie charge fell short. Despite having four more shots at goal, Collingwood would lose to Carlton by a single point. Carlton 17.6 (108) defeated Collingwood 16.11 (107).[23]

Arguably the most significant of the contests between the two clubs in the 2010s came in Round 2 of the 2013 season. After coaching Collingwood for over a decade and having taken them to a premiership in 2010, Michael Malthouse had, somewhat reluctantly, stood down at the conclusion of the 2011 season, before being lured back into coaching by the Magpies' rivals twelve months later. The build-up to the match was intensely scrutinised by media and the public, with great attention paid to the increased hostility between Malthouse and senior Collingwood executive figures, such as Eddie McGuire and Nathan Buckley; the latter having played under Malthouse's management as captain of Collingwood for eight years.[24]

Before a crowd of over 84,000 at the MCG, Collingwood came from behind to record a thrilling 17-point victory.[25] Collingwood would go on to win the remaining premiership matches between the two teams while Malthouse was at the helm at Carlton, ensuring Buckley would obtain a 5–0 winning record against his former coach. Malthouse retired from coaching in May 2015, after having recorded his 718th match in the VFL/AFL as a senior coach, which came against Collingwood.[26]

In the final round of 2022, the clubs met in arguably their biggest head to head clash since the 1981 Grand Final. Carlton were sitting eighth on the AFL ladder (though found themselves ninth on the "live" ladder by half-time) and aiming for their first finals appearance in nine years, whereas Collingwood were sitting fifth and aiming for a top four finish. In front of 88,287 fans,[27] A titanic battle saw Collingwood lead by 17 points at half time, before Carlton booted eight goals to one in the third quarter to lead by 24 points at three-quarter time. But Collingwood fought back in the final term, and a Jamie Elliott goal in the dying minutes secured a one-point victory, denying Carlton a finals spot while claiming fourth spot. Had the match drawn, Carlton would have entered the top eight and Collingwood would have entered the top four.