The history of the Carngham Linton Football Netball Club dates back to approximately 1874, where matches were played between the Carngham Football Club and the Linton Football Club. There are also records of 2 games played between the clubs around 1880. In both these games Carngham Football Club were the successors, 1 goal to nil.
The first records of premiership competition between the Carngham and Linton Football Clubs begin prior to World War 1. Back then they were separate identities, with the Carngham Football Club and the Linton Football Club being in competition against one another. The Carngham Football Club enjoyed early success, winning the 1908 and 1913 premierships in the Scarsdale & District Football Association.
Unfortunately, the association went into recess mid way through the 1915 season due to the war. At the end of the Great War in 1919, football was to return to the district and success was to start early for the Linton Football Club. They endured premiership glory in the Linton and District Football Association on 3 occasions, winning the 1919, 1920 and 1922 seasons. All 3 years being at the expense of their rival neighbours, the Carngham Football Club. Unfortunately for the Carngham Football Club, they were to be Runners Up in 4 seasons, being the years of 1919, 1920, 1922 and 1923.
In 1925, the Linton and District Football Association changed its name to the Linton-Scarsdale Football Association. The following year, 1926, saw the Carngham Football Club finally break their premiership drought, with a hard fought victory over Scarsdale in what would be the seasons ultimate match.
The Carngham Football Club embarked on a so called travelling excursion in 1927 by joining the Rokewood & Cape Clear District Football Association. The Carngham Football Club made it back to back flags, taking out the 1927 premiership. Linton Football Club remained in the renamed Linton-Skipton Football Association but never experienced premiership success.
In 1930, the Linton Football Club rekindled their rivalry with the Carngham Football Club, entering into the Rokewood & Cape Clear Football Association. This competition was known as the Cape Clear-Carngham Association from 1934. Neither side endured premiership success in this 6 year period.
From 1936 until 1940, both clubs continued their fierce rivalry against one another, this time in the renamed Linton & Carngham District Football Association. Carngham Football Club again won back to back flags in 1938 and 1939. However, after the 1940 year there was no football played, due to World War II.
When football resumed in 1946, after World War II, Carngham made an immediate impression on the Linton & Carngham District Football Association. The team won 5 consecutive premierships, being the 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950 flags. The sweetest being the 1949 premiership, where they defeated the previously undefeated Skipton by a solitary point. Carngham Football Club could not continue their winning streak in 1951, but won their sixth premiership, from seven years, in 1952. Unfortunately for Linton Football Club, they were not able to encounter any premiership glory within these years.
The two clubs moved simultaneously into a new League in 1953, this time it was into the Western Plains Football League. Linton finally tasted success and after a 40 year drought, won the 1962 premiership. This would see the last move for the Linton Football Club before withdrawing mid year in the 1968 season. The Carngham Football Club had a seven year stint in the Ballarat Football Leagues District competition from 1962 to 1968, without any premiership glory.
After long and debated discussions, because of such a huge rivalry spanning 50 years, the Carngham Football Club and the Linton Football Club merged in 1969, to become the Carngham-Linton Football Club, and has become one of the most successful and powerful combinations in the modern day country football today.
The first few years were not as successful as first thought by locals in the neighboring towns. However, in 1973 the merged club played in its first finals series and in 1974 the club saw the first of what would become a substantial amount of premiership success in the Western Plains Football League.
In the next 30 years of the Western Plains Football League, the club endured substantial success, winning 12 senior football premierships which today remains to stand as a League record. They also won 13 reserve football and seven Under 17 football flags. The netballers were also on the winners list and had won, 1 senior, 2 reserve and 8 under age grades, in this period of time.
In 1999, the Western Plains Football League amalgamated with the Lexton Football League, to form the Lexton Plains Football League and the club wasted no time in stamping its authority in the newly formed League. Both senior and reserve grades reached the Grand Final in their debut seasons, winning the latter and have gone on to claim the 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008 senior flags, making it the most successful club in the competition to date. It has also set a league record, having won their 3rd successive premiership in 2008 and winning 5 flags in only 10 years.
In 2006, the reserves also made a memorable day for the club, winning their respective premiership, giving the club its seventh double victory in its history, but only the first since crossing to the Lexton Plains Football league.
This was bettered in 2008, with the club winning the Senior and Reserve Football and the Senior Netball, the first time in the clubs history and the clubs 8th double victory in both senior football grades.
In 2002, the Lexton Plains Football League introduced the Ray Fisher Shield for the most successful club in the League. The club won this shield for 5 consecutive years, between 2002 and 2006. Unfortunately in 2007 it would be relegated to second for the first time, since the shield was introduced however, the club was to regain the shield again in 2008 and again, continue its dominance in 2009.
By the final year of the Lexton Plains League in 2010, the Carngham Linton Football Netball Club had missed the senior football finals on only 6 occasions since 1969, 4 of these being in the first four years from 1969 to 1972. From 1974, the club had played in 29 senior Grand Finals, with a ratio of 17 Premierships and 12 losses. All grades within the club from 1971 until 2010, saw them play in a total 95 Grand Finals, with 54 Premierships and 41 Runner Up.
The Carngham Linton Football Netball Club joined the large Central Highlands Football League and Netball Association in 2011. Due to a uniform clash with Creswick, Carngham Linton changed the design of its football jumpers whilst still retaining the red, white and black colours.
The Carngham Linton Football Netball Club registered its first Central Highlands premiership in 2012 when the under-13 netball team was victorious. The under-15 netball team won the club's second flag in 2014 followed by another Under-13 premiership in 2019.
