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In The beginning (VFA)

In 1864, the Carlton Football Club was born. In 1877, they were one of the founding clubs of the Victorian Football Association. It was not until 1892 that the Collingwood Football Club was established.

Once the VFA agreed to accept Collingwood's bid to join the league, they realised that Collingwood had only 17 matches scheduled when a minimum of 18 was required.

Collingwood looked unlikely to take part in the upcoming VFA season until Carlton's club secretary Jack Melville suggested a solution. Carlton were to cancel a scheduled match with South Ballarat and play an extra game against Collingwood.

At the time they would not have known it, but this would mark the beginning of one of the biggest rivalries in sports history.

On 7 May 1892 at Victoria Park, Collingwood and Carlton faced off for the first time.

Billy Strickland

Bill Strickland first played VFA football for Carlton in 1885. And, in 1887, Strickland captained the Blues to their sixth VFA Premiership.

But in 1893, Collingwood convinced Strickland to leave Carlton and play for Collingwood, in what is now looked back as one of the first major player movements in Australian Rules Football history.

Carlton did not show any bitterness towards Collingwood or Strickland, but this would change the history and upcoming of the Collingwood Football Club.

Strickland's arrival at Collingwood turned the club around. They quickly became Premiership contenders and under Strickland's captaincy, Collingwood won their only VFA Premiership, in 1896 against South Melbourne.

After his retirement, Stickland briefly returned to Collingwood and became the club's first ever coach in 1904.

Entering The VFL

After Collingwood's VFA Premiership, the eight strongest clubs from the VFA left and joined the new Victorian Football League for the 1897 season.

The first VFL encounter

In Round 7 of the 1897 VFL season Carlton and Collingwood would play against each other in their first encounter in the new VFL. This was also to be the first game held at Princes Park.

Collingwood 6.4 (40) defeated Carlton 5.6 (36).

Hostilities erupt

Both clubs had a friendly and mutual regard for one another. However, by the 1910 Grand Final, things had started to change.

Some see the 1910 Grand Final as the turning point in the hatred between the two football clubs.

Early in the fourth quarter a huge brawl broke out involving at least thirty players and officials from both clubs.

Collingwood held on to win by 14 points, but four players were reported for starting the big fight and as a result were heavily suspended.

Percy Sheehan of Carlton and Jack Shorten of Collingwood both were given 18 month suspensions while Jack Baquie of Carlton and Tom Baxter of Collingwood both received 12 month suspensions.

However, Collingwood appealed the Baxter suspension and produced a written declaration from another player, Richard Daykin. Daykin wrote that it was he and not Baxter who had traded blows with Baquie.

The VFL chose to accept Daykin’s confession and cleared Baxter of his 12 month suspension. Soon after Baxter was cleared, Daykin announced his immediate retirement from VFL football. Carlton vowed never to forget this day and they soon had their revenge by winning the Premiership from Collingwood in 1915.

Head To head

Since joining the VFL in 1897, Collingwood and Carlton have faced off 241 times. The most of any other clubs.

Finals

In 112 years, the two clubs have only 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 thir second VFL Premiership.

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

Grand Finals

1910

For the main article click here; 1910 VFL Grand Final

1915

For the main article click here; 1915 VFL Grand Final

1938

For the main article click here; 1938 VFL Grand Final

1970

For the main article click here; 1970 VFL Grand Final

1979

For the main article click here; 1979 VFL Grand Final

1981

For the main article click here; 1981 VFL Grand Final

Peter Mac Cup

For the main article click here; Peter Mac Cup

Since 1993, both the Carlton and Collingwood Football Clubs have joined forces in the battle against Cancer. Every year since 1993, an annual blockbuster between the clubs has helped raise money and awareness in cancer research.

The inaugural Peter Mac Cup between the rivals took place in Round 6 of the 1993 AFL season.

Richard Pratt Cup

For the main article click here; Richard Pratt Cup

After former Carlton President Richard Pratt passed away in April 2009, it was announced by both clubs that the following match between the rivals would be played for the inaugural Richard Pratt Cup.

CEO of the EJ Whitten Foundation, Ted Whitten, Jr., was delighted the two teams joined forces to support prostate cancer awareness and confirmed their Foundation would provide additional support for the Richard Pratt Cup.

The inaugural Richard Pratt Cup between the rivals took place in Round 17 of the 2009 AFL season.

As of season 2010, the Carlton home game will be played for the Richard Pratt Cup as the Collingwood home game will be played for the Peter Mac Cup.

Memorable moments

Dick Lee flies

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 also the first draw between the clubs.

Collingwood 8.8 (56) drew Carlton 6.20 (56)

The semi final of 1970

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 would meet 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 would top the goal kickers list with 9.

The final margin was ten points, with Collingwood 17.16 (118) defeating Carlton 17.6 (108).

Jesaulenko you beauty

During the 1970 Grand Final, Alex Jesaulenko lept upon Collingwood ruckman Graeme Jenkin to the commentary of Mike Williamson shouting "Oh Jesaulenko, you beauty!".

The mark was the first to be recognised officially as the Mark of the Year, now awarded annually as the Alex Jesaulenko Medal.

Warren Ralph after the siren

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 6 points in front, the final siren had sounded seconds after the umpire had called the free kick. 25 metres out from goal, Ralph would need to kick a goal to force a draw.

However, it was not meant to be as the ball narrowly missed for a minor score, seeing Collingwood come out 5 point victors in Round 5 of the 1984 VFL season.

Collingwood 10.16 (76) defeating Carlton 9.17 (71).)

Phil Manassa stuff By Micky McGuane

In round 2 of the 1994 AFL season, 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.

The Millennium Match

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.

This game would mark the first time Mick Malthouse would coach Collingwood since his appointment as head coach. But the AFL would be disappointed as less than 20,000 people attended, when a much higher crowd was expected.

However, Carlton ran away with the win, handing Collingwood an 88 point loss to end the 20th Century.

Brendan Fevola was the star, kicking 12 goals.

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

Centenary of Federation

In Round 6 of the 2001 AFL season, the AFL celebrated the Centenary of Federation with two matches from that round, earmarked as Federation Football matches.

Round 6 of that year was fixtured to resemble, as closely as possible, a round of football which was specially scheduled on May 9, 1901 as part of the celebrations around the Opening of Parliament in Melbourne.

All senior players competing in the two matches received a commemorative medal, courtesy of Centenary of Federation, Victoria.

The Federation Cup was won by Collingwood 15.13 (103) defeating Carlton 14.11 (95) at the MCG.

* The other game was between the Brisbane Lions and Geelong at the Gabba.

Round 22, 2004

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.

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)

The impossible goal

The round 21 clash of 2006 could be remembered for several spiteful incidents, but nothing should overshadow the 2006 Goal of the Year.

After first smothering a handball from Collingwood's Tarkyn Lockyer, Carlton goalsneak, Eddie Betts kicked a brilliant banana kick from tight on the boundary line while under pressure from Magpie defender Simon Prestigiacomo.

2010 Brownlow Medal

Collingwood star Dane Swan averaged 32 disposals all year and was the shortest priced favorite to win the medal in more than a decade after winning numerous other individual awards all season. However, it was Carlton Captain Chris Judd who dominated the count finishing clear winner, six votes ahead of third placed Swan who had votes taken from him by teammate Scott Pendlebury (who finished one behind in 4th). It was also the night that marked the 40th Anniversary of the 1970 Grand Final.

Famous fights

Round 10, 1934

In the third quarter of the match, played at Victoria Park in a heavy cross-wind, Syd Coventry, in his last season for Collingwood, was knocked out after an altercation with Carlton's Gordon Mackie. As Coventry was being stretchered off the field, a vicious brawl broke out involving 20 players which required assistance of team officials and the police to break up. Up to ten players were seriously injured, but only Harry Maskell of Carlton was reported.

However, after an investigation by the VFL, Maskell and Mackie were both found guilty and suspended for six matches each. A goal umpire and both boundary umpires were suspended for the remainder of the season for dereliction of duty in relation to the brawl.

Preliminary Final, 1945

With Collingwood in control of the game early into the last quarter, a bench-clearing brawl interrupted play for several minutes, and in retrospect can probably be said to have proved decisive in disrupting Collingwood's concentration. After play resumed, Carlton ran away with a 10 point win, and defeated South Melbourne the following Saturday in the infamous "Bloodbath" Grand Final.

Fred Fitzgibbon of Carlton was given a four-match suspension for having king-hit Collingwood forward Len Hustler. Despite the four-match suspension, Fitzgibbon ran onto the field during a final quarter brawl in the Grand Final and exchanged punches with South Melbourne's Ted Whitfield before being ejected from the arena; he was suspended for an additional four matches for the incident.

References

1. The Way we Were: Carlton and Collingwood as friends
2. Match Stats - Carlton V Collingwood - 22 June 1987
3. The Other Great War
4. The Peter Mac Cup
5. Richard Pratt Cup
6. Collingwood V Carlton Semi Final 1970
7. Martin Blake (2008-05-08). "The mark of a legend". RealFooty.com.au. Retrieved 2009-01-29.
8. Match Stats - Carlton V Collingwood - 25 April 1984
9. Millennium match details
10. Footy fans shy away from millennium match
11. Collingwood humiliated in millennium match
12. Centenary of Federation
13. Match Stats - Collingwood V Carlton - 06 May 2001
14. Carlton V Collingwood Rivalry Round
15. Match Stats - Collingwood V Carlton - 27 August 2004
16. Betts' goal provides Blues' bright spot

• Roberts, M. & McFarlane, G., The Official Collingwood Illustrated Encyclopedia, Slattery & Lothian Books, 2003. ISBN 0-7344-0716-5

• Australian Football League rivalries
• Australian Football League
• Collingwood Football Club
• Carlton Football Club