1973 VFL season

1973 VFL premiership season
Teams12
PremiersRichmond
8th premiership
Minor premiersCollingwood
16th minor premiership
Brownlow MedallistKeith Greig (North Melbourne)
Coleman MedallistPeter McKenna (Collingwood)
Attendance
Matches played138
Total attendance3,338,648 (24,193 per match)
Highest116,956
← 1972
1974 →

The 1973 VFL season was the 77th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 7 April until 29 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.

The premiership was won by the Richmond Football Club for the eighth time, after it defeated Carlton by 30 points in the 1973 VFL Grand Final.

Background

One of the most significant innovations that came into force in 1973 was the implementation of a painted centre diamond area with 45-metre long sides, with a maximum of four players from each team permitted to stand within the diamond at centre bounces. Following a long period of lobbying by the VFL to the Australian Football Council for its introduction, the centre diamond was initially subject to a 12-month trial period. The purpose of this innovation was to try and solve the problem of congestion at centre bounces, as well as giving skilled players more space to benefit their teams.

The home-and-away season consisted of 22 rounds, with teams facing each other twice; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-away reverse" of matches 1 to 11. At the conclusion of the home-and-away fixtures, the 1973 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "McIntyre final five system".

Home-and-away season

Round 1

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 9.12 (66) St Kilda 14.14 (98) MCG 44,737 7 April 1973
Fitzroy 20.17 (137) Footscray 12.15 (87) Junction Oval 14,988 7 April 1973
Essendon 19.13 (127) Richmond 19.15 (129) Windy Hill 27,959 7 April 1973
Collingwood 17.22 (124) South Melbourne 6.12 (48) Victoria Park 23,412 7 April 1973
North Melbourne 14.14 (98) Hawthorn 9.16 (70) Arden Street Oval 15,934 7 April 1973
Geelong 10.8 (68) Carlton 18.16 (124) Kardinia Park 26,130 7 April 1973

Round 2

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 14.14 (98) Melbourne 13.22 (100) Glenferrie Oval 13,128 14 April 1973
Carlton 18.15 (123) North Melbourne 14.12 (96) Princes Park 29,185 14 April 1973
Richmond 18.19 (127) Geelong 16.14 (110) MCG 29,665 14 April 1973
St Kilda 20.8 (128) Fitzroy 10.11 (71) Moorabbin Oval 23,662 14 April 1973
South Melbourne 15.19 (109) Essendon 21.20 (146) Lake Oval 16,260 14 April 1973
Footscray 11.16 (82) Collingwood 14.18 (102) Western Oval 24,794 14 April 1973

Round 3

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 21.23 (149) Geelong 11.13 (79) Victoria Park 24,042 21 April 1973
St Kilda 12.9 (81) Richmond 17.8 (110) Moorabbin Oval 33,022 21 April 1973
North Melbourne 11.18 (84) Fitzroy 10.18 (78) Arden Street Oval 18,704 21 April 1973
South Melbourne 17.16 (118) Footscray 20.15 (135) Lake Oval 13,199 23 April 1973
Melbourne 11.9 (75) Carlton 11.16 (82) MCG 49,439 23 April 1973
Hawthorn 27.8 (170) Essendon 15.12 (102) VFL Park 32,045 23 April 1973

Round 4

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 11.18 (84) North Melbourne 14.20 (104) MCG 48,923 25 April 1973
St Kilda 8.12 (60) Collingwood 19.16 (130) VFL Park 49,552 25 April 1973
Geelong 17.16 (118) South Melbourne 12.14 (86) Kardinia Park 14,739 28 April 1973
Fitzroy 13.9 (87) Melbourne 13.16 (94) Junction Oval 16,101 28 April 1973
Carlton 14.11 (95) Hawthorn 12.11 (83) Princes Park 27,913 28 April 1973
Footscray 8.19 (67) Essendon 17.13 (115) Western Oval 25,314 28 April 1973

Round 5

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.13 (91) Richmond 16.14 (110) MCG 37,667 5 May 1973
Essendon 16.26 (122) Geelong 15.16 (106) Windy Hill 19,007 5 May 1973
South Melbourne 6.12 (48) St Kilda 10.16 (76) Lake Oval 13,513 5 May 1973
Hawthorn 18.16 (124) Footscray 16.12 (108) Glenferrie Oval 11,402 5 May 1973
North Melbourne 13.20 (98) Collingwood 15.19 (109) Arden Street Oval 27,048 5 May 1973
Carlton 15.15 (105) Fitzroy 10.8 (68) VFL Park 19,654 5 May 1973

Round 6

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 15.17 (107) Hawthorn 12.13 (85) Junction Oval 10,706 12 May 1973
Collingwood 15.10 (100) Melbourne 10.16 (76) Victoria Park 21,360 12 May 1973
Geelong 11.14 (80) Footscray 14.14 (98) Kardinia Park 15,305 12 May 1973
St Kilda 18.13 (121) Essendon 21.14 (140) Moorabbin Oval 23,120 12 May 1973
Richmond 18.20 (128) Carlton 15.12 (102) MCG 54,139 12 May 1973
North Melbourne 18.16 (124) South Melbourne 11.14 (80) VFL Park 10,020 12 May 1973

Round 7

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 17.10 (112) South Melbourne 12.11 (83) MCG 16,075 19 May 1973
Footscray 14.9 (93) St Kilda 13.12 (90) Western Oval 14,953 19 May 1973
Essendon 20.24 (144) North Melbourne 11.8 (74) Windy Hill 26,907 19 May 1973
Carlton 16.23 (119) Collingwood 8.12 (60) Princes Park 43,531 19 May 1973
Hawthorn 19.15 (129) Geelong 9.14 (68) Glenferrie Oval 11,621 19 May 1973
Fitzroy 12.8 (80) Richmond 16.21 (117) VFL Park 19,539 19 May 1973

Round 8

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Collingwood 15.13 (103) Fitzroy 10.8 (68) Victoria Park 20,822 26 May 1973
Richmond 10.22 (82) Hawthorn 16.23 (119) MCG 32,613 26 May 1973
St Kilda 16.10 (106) Geelong 8.12 (60) Moorabbin Oval 15,114 26 May 1973
North Melbourne 8.8 (56) Footscray 8.8 (56) Arden Street Oval 16,148 26 May 1973
South Melbourne 7.9 (51) Carlton 19.16 (130) Lake Oval 14,659 26 May 1973
Melbourne 10.11 (71) Essendon 12.9 (81) VFL Park 25,603 26 May 1973

Round 9

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 14.6 (90) North Melbourne 18.13 (121) Kardinia Park 18,868 4 June 1973
Footscray 9.14 (68) Melbourne 10.14 (74) Western Oval 17,973 4 June 1973
Fitzroy 16.8 (104) South Melbourne 7.15 (57) Junction Oval 10,119 4 June 1973
Carlton 19.19 (133) Essendon 13.14 (92) Princes Park 39,646 4 June 1973
St Kilda 11.12 (78) Hawthorn 8.16 (64) Moorabbin Oval 22,521 4 June 1973
Richmond 10.6 (66) Collingwood 15.15 (105) VFL Park 55,827 4 June 1973

Round 10

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 11.14 (80) St Kilda 7.12 (54) Arden Street Oval 16,387 9 June 1973
Essendon 15.17 (107) Fitzroy 14.13 (97) Windy Hill 16,632 9 June 1973
South Melbourne 9.8 (62) Richmond 13.14 (92) Lake Oval 10,726 9 June 1973
Melbourne 20.19 (139) Geelong 11.15 (81) MCG 19,900 9 June 1973
Hawthorn 14.11 (95) Collingwood 15.18 (108) Glenferrie Oval 19,963 9 June 1973
Carlton 13.13 (91) Footscray 9.11 (65) VFL Park 18,205 9 June 1973

Round 11

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Melbourne 13.12 (90) North Melbourne 12.9 (81) MCG 32,957 16 June 1973
Footscray 7.16 (58) Richmond 17.7 (109) Western Oval 16,733 16 June 1973
Collingwood 23.16 (154) Essendon 16.16 (112) Victoria Park 31,754 16 June 1973
Geelong 16.8 (104) Fitzroy 11.15 (81) Kardinia Park 12,786 16 June 1973
St Kilda 13.13 (91) Carlton 9.13 (67) Moorabbin Oval 25,081 16 June 1973
South Melbourne 11.10 (76) Hawthorn 17.17 (119) VFL Park 9,436 16 June 1973

Round 12

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 12.13 (85) North Melbourne 10.10 (70) Glenferrie Oval 12,380 23 June 1973
Carlton 17.12 (114) Geelong 9.13 (67) Princes Park 14,202 23 June 1973
St Kilda 11.14 (80) Melbourne 6.18 (54) Moorabbin Oval 24,262 23 June 1973
Richmond 15.21 (111) Essendon 13.17 (95) MCG 43,892 23 June 1973
South Melbourne 12.5 (77) Collingwood 15.9 (99) Lake Oval 12,484 23 June 1973
Footscray 10.15 (75) Fitzroy 13.11 (89) VFL Park 7,016 23 June 1973

Round 13

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Fitzroy 10.11 (71) St Kilda 20.11 (131) Junction Oval 14,776 30 June 1973
Essendon 20.19 (139) South Melbourne 16.14 (110) Windy Hill 13,042 30 June 1973
Collingwood 13.17 (95) Footscray 14.6 (90) Victoria Park 18,253 30 June 1973
Melbourne 15.15 (105) Hawthorn 15.22 (112) MCG 25,787 30 June 1973
North Melbourne 16.19 (115) Carlton 16.11 (107) Arden Street Oval 19,355 30 June 1973
Geelong 13.11 (89) Richmond 21.7 (133) VFL Park 13,219 30 June 1973

Round 14

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
North Melbourne 11.12 (78) Richmond 17.15 (117) Arden Street Oval 19,114 7 July 1973
Collingwood 15.13 (103) St Kilda 12.10 (82) Victoria Park 25,312 7 July 1973
South Melbourne 18.15 (123) Geelong 12.6 (78) Lake Oval 9,681 7 July 1973
Melbourne 19.20 (134) Fitzroy 14.13 (97) MCG 13,105 7 July 1973
Hawthorn 14.24 (108) Carlton 12.14 (86) Glenferrie Oval 18,316 7 July 1973
Essendon 21.6 (132) Footscray 13.19 (97) VFL Park 12,417 7 July 1973

Round 15

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Footscray 12.7 (79) South Melbourne 20.21 (141) Western Oval 11,115 14 July 1973
Fitzroy 16.12 (108) North Melbourne 13.18 (96) Junction Oval 9,886 14 July 1973
Essendon 23.13 (151) Hawthorn 18.8 (116) Windy Hill 22,437 14 July 1973
Carlton 18.14 (122) Melbourne 12.9 (81) Princes Park 22,283 14 July 1973
Geelong 13.10 (88) Collingwood 13.18 (96) Kardinia Park 15,892 14 July 1973
Richmond 13.12 (90) St Kilda 11.11 (77) VFL Park 31,502 14 July 1973

Round 16

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
St Kilda 14.16 (100) South Melbourne 13.15 (93) Moorabbin Oval 17,454 21 July 1973
Footscray 6.9 (45) Hawthorn 9.11 (65) Western Oval 10,987 21 July 1973
Richmond 16.14 (110) Melbourne 9.19 (73) MCG 30,492 21 July 1973
Geelong 12.10 (82) Essendon 11.15 (81) Kardinia Park 16,746 21 July 1973
Fitzroy 12.19 (91) Carlton 11.14 (80) Junction Oval 14,800 21 July 1973
Collingwood 10.11 (71) North Melbourne 11.10 (76) VFL Park 25,650 21 July 1973

Round 17

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Essendon 15.12 (102) St Kilda 10.19 (79) Windy Hill 21,469 28 July 1973
Carlton 15.17 (107) Richmond 10.21 (81) Princes Park 28,592 28 July 1973
South Melbourne 19.16 (130) North Melbourne 14.7 (91) Lake Oval 13,637 28 July 1973
Hawthorn 15.10 (100) Fitzroy 9.9 (63) Glenferrie Oval 12,386 28 July 1973
Melbourne 12.15 (87) Collingwood 17.24 (126) MCG 37,838 28 July 1973
Footscray 21.15 (141) Geelong 13.14 (92) VFL Park 13,546 28 July 1973

Round 18

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Geelong 14.11 (95) Hawthorn 14.10 (94) Kardinia Park 13,546 4 August 1973
St Kilda 15.20 (110) Footscray 12.14 (86) Moorabbin Oval 15,217 4 August 1973
Richmond 15.14 (104) Fitzroy 13.14 (92) MCG 20,578 4 August 1973
North Melbourne 13.13 (91) Essendon 14.10 (94) Arden Street Oval 21,071 4 August 1973
Collingwood 19.7 (121) Carlton 15.16 (106) Victoria Park 37,660 4 August 1973
South Melbourne 12.14 (86) Melbourne 11.12 (78) VFL Park 15,255 4 August 1973

Round 19

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 11.11 (77) Richmond 12.10 (82) Glenferrie Oval 20,236 11 August 1973
Footscray 10.8 (68) North Melbourne 10.14 (74) Western Oval 13,581 11 August 1973
Essendon 17.13 (115) Melbourne 15.11 (101) Windy Hill 18,008 11 August 1973
Carlton 20.17 (137) South Melbourne 11.14 (80) Princes Park 22,181 11 August 1973
Fitzroy 10.19 (79) Collingwood 19.10 (124) Junction Oval 19,103 11 August 1973
Geelong 13.8 (86) St Kilda 11.17 (83) VFL Park 19,477 11 August 1973

Round 20

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Hawthorn 11.11 (77) St Kilda 15.8 (98) Glenferrie Oval 16,952 18 August 1973
Collingwood 8.11 (59) Richmond 14.16 (100) Victoria Park 28,286 18 August 1973
North Melbourne 9.10 (64) Geelong 7.6 (48) Arden Street Oval 11,121 18 August 1973
Melbourne 10.13 (73) Footscray 17.8 (110) MCG 12,563 18 August 1973
South Melbourne 15.11 (101) Fitzroy 14.21 (105) Lake Oval 8,584 18 August 1973
Essendon 10.7 (67) Carlton 17.9 (111) VFL Park 36,160 18 August 1973

Round 21

Home team Home team score Away team Away team score Venue Crowd Date
Richmond 22.11 (143) South Melbourne 13.16 (94) MCG 24,307 25 August 1973
Geelong 17.11 (113) Melbourne 14.14 (98) Kardinia Park 15,489 25 August 1973
St Kilda 16.18 (114) North Melbourne 14.12 (96) Moorabbin Oval 29,257 25 August 1973
Fitzroy 13.22 (100) Essendon 9.23 (77) Junction Oval 14,875 25 August 1973
Footscray 10.15 (75) Carlton 9.12 (66) Western Oval 18,988 25 August 1973
Collingwood 16.10 (106) Hawthorn 13.10 (88) VFL Park 48,059 25 August 1973

Round 22

Round 22
Saturday, 1 September (2:10 pm) Carlton 20.15 (135) def. St Kilda 13.9 (87) Princes Park (crowd: 22,824) Report
Saturday, 1 September (2:10 pm) Essendon 16.6 (102) def. by Collingwood 17.10 (112) Windy Hill (crowd: 28,049) Report
Saturday, 1 September (2:10 pm) Fitzroy 17.15 (117) def. Geelong 14.17 (101) Junction Oval (crowd: 9,172) Report
Saturday, 1 September (2:10 pm) Richmond 10.16 (76) def. by Footscray 11.11 (77) MCG (crowd: 24,671) Report
Saturday, 1 September (2:10 pm) Hawthorn 16.20 (116) def. South Melbourne 11.13 (79) Glenferrie Oval (crowd: 9,932) Report
Saturday, 1 September (2:10 pm) North Melbourne 11.5 (71) def. Melbourne 9.12 (66) VFL Park (crowd: 9,411) Report
  • Footscray ended its otherwise disappointing season on a high note with a third consecutive victory, this time the eventual premiers Richmond. After scores were level at three-quarter time, ruckman Gary Dempsey was moved to full-forward where he kicked two key goals. Former Carlton rover Adrian Gallagher (with 31 kicks) and Bernie Quinlan were outstanding for the Bulldogs, while Kevin Bartlett was by far the Tigers' best.
  • Hawthorn snapped its four-game losing streak and farewelled Glenferrie Oval in style with a hard-fought win over a plucky South Melbourne side. Leading by only five points at the main break, the Hawks kicked clear in the second half to win by 37 points. Leigh Matthews was easily best-on-ground with 36 touches and 3 goals, while Michael Moncrieff chimed in with six goals.

Ladder

(P) Premiers
Qualified for finals
# Team P W L D PF PA % Pts
1 Collingwood 22 19 3 0 2356 1878 125.5 76
2 Richmond (P) 22 17 5 0 2301 1957 117.6 68
3 Carlton 22 15 7 0 2342 1850 126.6 60
4 Essendon 22 13 9 0 2443 2341 104.4 52
5 St Kilda 22 12 10 0 2024 1922 105.3 48
6 North Melbourne 22 11 10 1 1938 1986 97.6 46
7 Hawthorn 22 11 11 0 2194 2002 109.6 44
8 Fitzroy 22 9 13 0 1990 2194 90.7 36
9 Footscray 22 7 14 1 1860 2109 88.2 30
10 Melbourne 22 7 15 0 1938 2111 91.8 28
11 Geelong 22 6 16 0 1903 2426 78.4 24
12 South Melbourne 22 4 18 0 1932 2445 79.0 16

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 95.5
Source: AFL Tables

Finals series

Finals week 1

Qualifying final
Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm) Richmond 10.11 (71) def. by Carlton 13.13 (91) MCG (crowd: 86,386) Report
Elimination final
Saturday, 8 September (2:30 pm) Essendon 13.13 (91) def. by St Kilda 24.14 (158) VFL Park (crowd: 53,405) Report

Finals week 2

Semi-finals
SF1: Saturday, 15 September (2:30 pm) Richmond 15.18 (108) def. St Kilda 9.14 (68) MCG (crowd: 86,483) Report
SF2: Saturday, 15 September (2:30 pm) Collingwood 12.15 (87) def. by Carlton 15.17 (107) VFL Park (crowd: 60,072) Report

Preliminary final

Preliminary final
Saturday, 22 September (2:30 pm) Collingwood 14.14 (98) def. by Richmond 15.15 (105) MCG (crowd: 98,652) Report
  • Collingwood became the first team under the McIntyre final five system to exit in straight sets

Grand final

Grand final
Saturday, 29 September (2:30 pm) Carlton 12.14 (86) def. by Richmond 16.20 (116) MCG (crowd: 116,956) Report
  • This was the second consecutive VFL Grand final meeting between Richmond and Carlton

Season notes

  • The VFL introduced a new clearance system, "10-year rule", in order to render the VFL immune from the sorts of "restraint of trade" difficulties that were being experienced, at the time, in New South Wales in relation to Rugby League footballers, whereby any VFL player who had played ten years with a single club was eligible for a free transfer to the club of his choice.
  • In Round 11 Kevin Murray played his 300th game for Fitzroy.
  • In Round 21, Hawthorn full-forward Peter Hudson, who had been injured in Round 1 of 1972, returned to the VFL. He beat four opponents and kicked 8 goals.
  • In Round 22, Hawthorn hosted its last senior VFL football match at Glenferrie Oval. The ground was notable for its temperamental playing surface and narrow flanks (wedged between the railway line on the one side and houses on the other). The venue had long been described by football fans as "the sardine can." Hawthorn subsequently played its home games at Princes Park for the next eighteen seasons.
  • The Richmond Football Club won the premiership in all grades in 1973: its Senior Team, Reserves Team and Under-19 team all won their Grand Finals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Grand Final Day; and the Essex Heights Football Club, which served as Richmond's Under-17 team, won the South-East Suburban League premiership.

Awards


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