Carlton–Essendon AFL rivalry

In 112 years, the two clubs have played in 20 Finals against each other.

Their first meeting in a final was in the 1904 Semi Final, and this was the only time that Carlton and Essendon played against each other at Victoria Park, which was Collingwood's home ground. Carlton won by 3 points before going on to lose the 1904 Grand Final to Fitzroy.

The most recent final played between the clubs was the 2011 Elimination Final, which Carlton won by 62 points. Before this was the 2000 Preliminary Final, which Essendon won by 45 points.

Essendon and Carlton have contested six Grand Finals, most recently in 1993. Each team has won three of these encounters.

On 14 July 1981, 42,269 people witnessed Essendon win the 1981 Escort Cup over Carlton at Waverley Park. To date this is the only pre-season/night series Grand Final played between the two clubs.

Essendon 9.11 (65) defeated Carlton 6.5 (41)

This match would symbolise the upcoming of the Essendon Football Club in the 1980s. In front of more than 65,000 people at Waverly Park, Essendon would go on to knock out the reigning Premiers before making 3 consecutive Grand Finals.

Essendon 17.12 (114) defeated Carlton 12.9 (81)

The highest scoring draw in the history of the VFL/AFL, Carlton and Essendon were tied when the final siren sounded and with the ball in the hands of Stephen Kernahan. His kick after the siren, from 35-40m on a wide angle, famously went out on the full.

Carlton 19.18 (132) drew Essendon 20.12 (132)

The qualifying final between the top two teams was the first Saturday night finals match in AFL history. More than 79,000 people were in attendance, and there was never more than a goal the difference at the end of any quarter.

Carlton 15.10 (100) defeated Essendon 14.14 (98)

Minor premier Essendon was an overwhelming favourite to easily beat sixth-placed Carlton in the preliminary final to progress to the Grand Final against the Kangaroos. In a tight final quarter, Carlton's Anthony Koutoufides starred and Fraser Brown made a match-saving tackle on Essendon's Dean Wallis in the final minute to seal an upset one-point victory.

Carlton 16.8 (104) defeated Essendon 14.19 (103)

Essendon was on a nineteen-game winning streak, having not been beaten since the previous year's preliminary final. Carlton was second on the ladder with a record of 15–4, having had a thirteen-game winning streak broken only the previous week. The result was a Friday night match with a crowd of 91,571, the highest ever crowd for a night match or a Carlton match during the home-and-away season. The game itself was close right up until the final quarter, when Essendon kicked seven goals to three to win.

Essendon 16.13 (109) defeated Carlton 12.11 (83)

The sides met on Preliminary Final weekend again, and Essendon got its revenge for the previous year's heartbreak. Essendon was on top from the beginning, and put the game beyond doubt with six goals to one in the third quarter.

Essendon 18.17 (125) defeated Carlton 12.8 (80)

The near-opposite circumstances of that great match from Round 20, 2000, both teams were sitting at the bottom of the ladder. After both sides had won their Round 1 games, the next fourteen rounds had yielded no wins and a then-club record losing streak for Essendon, and only one win (against Essendon) for Carlton. The match became known in the media as the "Bryce Gibbs Cup", under the expectation that the loser of the game would ultimately finish last, receiving the first draft pick which was expected to be used on the young Glenelg midfielder Bryce Gibbs. Close all day, the game finished in a draw.[5]

Essendon 16.9 (105) drew Carlton 15.15 (105)

Carlton staged one of its greatest come-backs to beat Essendon in this match. In time-on in the second quarter, Carlton trailed Essendon by 48 points. Three late goals in the second quarter dragged the margin back to 30 points. Then, seven goals to one in the third quarter saw Carlton ahead by 7 points at three-quarter time. A see-sawing final quarter ended with a three-point win to the Blues. The revival was sparked by Brendan Fevola, who kicked 8 goals.

Carlton 18.17 (125) defeated Essendon 17.20 (122)

After Carlton had led by one point in the final moments of the match, Kade Simpson in trying to clear the Essendon defence put the ball out on the full, resulting in a turnover in which Essendon, through David Zaharakis just missed a shot at goal on the run. Minutes earlier, Essendon's Dustin Fletcher tackled Carlton's Jeff Garlett as he played on in front of goal, saving a potential goal.[6] Carlton 11.13 (79) drew Essendon 11.13 (79)

After Essendon had the early lead in the first quarter, It was all Chris Judd who inspired Carlton to a comfortable Carlton 21.23 (149) def Essendon 13.9 (87). Carlton's third consecutive elimination final appearance presented the opportunity for their first victory in a final since 2001. It had simply been too long. Pitted against the arch enemy Essendon in front of a near capacity MCG crowd the big questions were certainly being asked of the playing group. Were the lessons from the previous two heart-breaking elimination final losses going to stand them in good stead or would it all count for nought?

Carlton 7.10 (52) defeated Essendon 8.3 (51)

Journeyman Justin Murphy spent time at four AFL clubs, but spent the longest time at Carlton. It was Murphy who was holding the ball as the final siren sounded in Carlton's 1999 Preliminary Final victory over Essendon. Murphy ultimately would spend the final two years of his AFL career at Essendon.

After 233 games in the navy blue, one of Carlton's favourite sons, Scott Camporeale, walked out on the club. After the 2005 season Carlton tried to make it difficult for Scott to leave by not releasing him to train with Essendon (his desired club). He nominated for the pre-season draft, where, Essendon picked up Camporeale as expected with pick 4 in the 2005 pre-season draft. Camporeale debuted with Essendon in Round 1, 2006. After 19 games over two seasons at Essendon, Camporeale retired and joined Essendon's coaching staff, where worked as an assistant coach until 2010.