2007 was a much better season for Essendon, in which, despite significant wins over Adelaide ( twice ), Fremantle, St Kilda, Sydney ( by one point in Sydney ), the previous year's premiers West Coast ( their second successive win by a solitary point ) and Carlton, they missed the finals for the third year running.

Pitcher Steve Carlton leads the team in Cy Young Award wins with four ( 1972, 1977, 1980, and 1982 ), while John Denny ( 1983 ), Steve Bedrosian ( 1987 ), and Roy Halladay ( 2010 ) each have one.

He became the 21st pitcher ever to record 300 wins and the third ever to record 4, 000 strikeouts, joining Nolan Ryan ( 5, 714 ) and Steve Carlton ( 4, 136 ).

On April 8,, Clemens won his first start of the season against the Cincinnati Reds, which tied him with Steve Carlton for second in wins for live-ball pitchers, and first among pitchers whose career began after World War II.

Passing Carlton also gave Clemens more wins at the time than any pitcher alive.

The Reds have not lost a World Series game since Carlton Fisk's extra inning home run in 1975, a span of 9 straight wins.

** Richmond wins the 77th VFL Premiership ( Richmond 16. 20 ( 116 ) d Carlton 12. 14 ( 86 ))

** Carlton wins the 76th VFL Premiership ( Carlton 28. 9 ( 177 ) d Richmond 22. 18 ( 150 ))

1986 – Vauxhall wins another " European Car of the Year " award with its all-new Vauxhall Carlton ( badged Opel Omega on the continent ).

* Fitzroy wins the 8th VFL Premiership – Fitzroy 9. 7 ( 61 ) d Carlton 5. 7 ( 37 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* Carlton wins the 11th VFL Premiership – Carlton 6. 14 ( 50 ) d South Melbourne 6. 9 ( 45 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* Carlton wins the 12th VFL Premiership: Carlton 5. 5 ( 35 ) d Essendon 3. 8 ( 26 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

* South Melbourne wins the 13th VFL Premiership: South Melbourne 4. 14 ( 38 ) d Carlton 4. 12 ( 36 ) at Melbourne Cricket Ground ( MCG )

** Essendon wins the 66th VFL Premiership ( 13. 12 ( 90 ) d Carlton 8. 10 ( 58 ))

** Carlton wins the 42nd VFL Premiership ( Carlton 15. 10 ( 100 ) d Collingwood 13. 7 ( 85 ))

** Carlton wins the 99th AFL premiership ( Carlton 21. 15 ( 141 ) d Geelong 11. 14 ( 80 ))

** Carlton wins the 91st VFL Premiership ( Carlton 15. 14 ( 104 ) d Hawthorn 9. 17 ( 71 ))

In 1896, delegates from the stronger and wealthier VFA clubs — Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne, St Kilda and South Melbourne — met to form a breakaway competition and in 1897, the Victorian Football League ( VFL ), was born as an eight-team competition.

Essendon has won 16 VFL / AFL premierships which, along with Carlton, is the most of any club in the AFL.

Essendon did manage to make the 1968 VFL Grand Final, but lost a heartbreaker to Carlton by just three points and would not make it back to the big stage for a decade-and-a-half.

Geelong helped form the new VFL with other foundation clubs, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Melbourne, South Melbourne and St Kilda.

* Peter ' Percy ' Jones – played 249 games for the Carlton Blues in the VFL

* James Flynn-former VFL / AFL footballer-Geelong FC, Carlton FC

Carlton has had a long and successful history, and is one of the most successful clubs in the VFL / AFL.

Carlton Football Club hoist the 1906 VFL premiership flag at the Carlton Oval in 1907

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 season ( including finals ) was a record which stood for more than ninety years.

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 and 1915 VFL seasons.

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.

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.

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.

Under the affiliation, reserves players for Carlton play VFL football with the Northern Blues.

In 1897, Collingwood, along with fellow VFA clubs Fitzroy, Melbourne, St Kilda, Carlton, Essendon, South Melbourne and Geelong split from the VFA and formed the Victorian Football League ( VFL ).

St Kilda were beaten by Carlton in their first VFL final by 56 points.

In 1968, he guided Carlton to its first premiership in 21 years, and in 1970, in front of the biggest ever VFL crowd, he led Carlton to arguably footy ’ s most famous comeback defeating Collingwood who were leading by 44 points at half-time.

In October 1896, the cabal of six strong clubs broke with the association to form the VFL and invited two other clubs to join them: Carlton and St Kilda.

The next VFL flag came in 1932, with the Tigers triumph over Carlton in a tough encounter which saw Richmond wingman Alan Geddes play the second half with a broken jaw.

** Carlton win the 83rd VFL Premiership ( Carlton 11. 16 ( 82 ) d Collingwood 11. 11 ( 77 ))

The finals posed no problems for the resurgent Dons, easily accounting for Carlton in the season's climax, winning the 1962 Premiership.

** Carlton win the 85th VFL Premiership ( Carlton 12. 20 ( 92 ) d Collingwood 10. 12 ( 72 ))

** Hawthorn wins the 90th VFL Premiership ( Hawthorn 16. 14 ( 110 ) d Carlton 9. 14 ( 68 ))

** Carlton wins the 86th VFL Premiership ( Carlton 14. 19 ( 103 ) d Richmond 12. 13 ( 83 ))

** Richmond wins the 73rd VFL Premiership ( Richmond 12. 13 ( 85 ) d Carlton 8. 12 ( 60 ))