2011 Elimination Final
Carlton v Essendon
Sunday September 11
MCG
2:40pm

The game is expected to be a sell-out. To check for availability of tickets contact Ticketek on 132 849 or online at ticketek.com.au

Milestone: Kade Simpson is due to play his 143rd consecutive match, a Carlton record, surpassing the 142 consecutive games played by Jim Francis between 1935 and 1942. Kade’s consecutive games played started in round 15, 2005.

Broadcast
Network Seven - Live around Australia
Melbourne: 2:00pm
Adelaide: 2:00pm
Perth: 12:30pm
Sydney and Brisbane: 2:30pm

Radio
Melbourne: 3AW, Triple M, K-Rock, ABC 774, SEN
Adelaide: Triple M, ABC 891, 5AA,
Perth: 6PR, ABC 720, NIRS
Brisbane & Gold Coast: NIRS
Hobart: ABC 936
Darwin: ABC 105.7, NIRS
Regional Australia: Croc Media

Follow the match on Carlton’s social media pages Facebook and Twitter

Match Day
Pre-game activities include the AFL Playground, a kids zone outside gates 5 & 6 at the MCG. This will be open from 1:00pm with the Carlton mascot, Captain Carlton, on site from 1:15pm

Live music and footy will meet again on the big stage at the MCG with a series of Australian and International artists and bands set to perform throughout the Finals Series. ‘Live at the Finals’ will feature “Absolutely 80’s” prior to the Elimination Final on Sunday. The Absolutely 80’s Show will feature some of the best Aussie pop icons from the 80s: Brian Mannix Uncanny X-Men), Scott Carne (Kids in the Kitchen), Sean Kelly (Models) and Daly Ryder (Boom Crash Opera).

Carlton will enter the MCG after Essendon and both teams, including the senior coaches and umpires, will line up for the playing of the National Anthem at 2:37pm.

The game will commence at 2:40pm

Carlton in Finals
Carlton has played 135 finals between 1903 and 2010, winning 63, losing 70 and playing 2 draws.

Carlton’s total score in the 135 finals is 41-points more than the opposition:
Carlton     1,549 goals - 1,684 behinds - 10,978 points
Opposition    1,555 goals - 1,607 behinds - 10,937 points


Last Five Finals
The Blues have won only one of the last 5 finals matches played, the 2001 final against Adelaide at the MCG, a 68-point victory on September 8. The recent finals losses have been against Sydney in last year’s Elimination Final by 5-points, to Brisbane in the 2009 Elimination Final at the Gabba by 7-points. In 2001 Carlton lost a semi-final to Richmond at the MCG by 11-points and in 2000 the Blues were defeated by Essendon in the Preliminary Final by 45-points.

Carlton v Essendon in Finals
While Carlton and Essendon have both won 16 AFL Premierships, Carlton has won two more Grand Finals. Essendon’s 1897 and 1924 premierships involved a ‘round robin’ finals system with the 1924 Essendon side the only team to have lost the last game of the season and still win the premiership. The following week Essendon lost to the VFA premiers, Footscray who became one of three sides to join the AFL in 1925.

Carlton and Essendon have played 19 finals against each other. Carlton has won 9, Essendon 10. Six of the finals have been Grand Finals with each side winning 3 times - Carlton’s victories in those Grand Finals have been by 9-points (1908), 1-point (1947) and 3-points (1968).

Carlton’s first ever finals victory was against Essendon at Victoria Park in the 1904 semi-final.

Jack Worrall became the first coach in the AFL when he was appointed Carlton coach in 1902. He coached Carlton to three consecutive premierships, 1906, 07 & 08 before being sacked during the 1909 season. He moved to Essendon in 1911 and coached them to flags in 1911 and 1912, giving him 5 premierships in 5 completed seasons as an AFL coach.

The Semi-Final between Carlton and Essendon in 1911 was the first AFL game in Victoria that both sides wore numbers.

The 1968 Grand Final between these two sides is the only Grand Final where the winning team (Carlton) scored fewer goals than the opposition.

Carlton and Essendon played in the first ever night final, the Qualifying Final at the MCG in 1993 with the Blues wining by 2-points.

Players
217 players have represented Carlton in a final against Essendon. The only current player to do so is Ryan Houlihan. Both Chris Judd and Brock McLean have played finals matches against Essendon before joining Carlton.

George Bruce and Jim Marchbank have played the most finals for Carlton against Essendon (5). Players to have played four finals matches against Essendon are:
Andrew McKay, Brett Ratten, Fraser Brown, Craig Bradley, Serge Silvagni, John Nicholls, Rod McGregor, Billy Payne and Fred Elliott.

Current President, Stephen Kernahan, has kicked the most goals in finals matches against Essendon. ‘Sticks’ kicked 13 goals in his two finals against the Bombers.

Carlton v Essendon History
Played 234
Carlton won 119
Essendon won 110
Draws 5

Total Scores
Carlton    2,613 - 2,875 - 18,553
Essendon    2,599 - 2,878 - 18,472

Crowds
Recorded for 184 of the 234 matches at 7 venues between Carlton and Essendon
(Princes Park, Windy Hill, MCG, Waverley, Victoria Park, SCG and East Melbourne Cricket Ground)

Total Crowds: 7,303,886 - Average 39,695
Home & Away (165 games)
Total: 5,933,709 - Average 35,962

Finals Total: (19 matches)
1,370,177 - Average 72,115

MCG Total: (55 matches)
3,660,604 - Average 66,556

Total Finals at the MCG: (17 matches)
1,288,296 - Average 75,782

Largest crowd:
Finals - 116,828    
Home & Away (Rod 20, 2000) - 91,571