Coach: Ian Ridley
Captain: Stan Alves
Finishing Position: 10th
Best and Fairest: Carl Ditterich
Leading Goalkicker: Ross Brewer (32)
Best First Year Player: Robert Flower
| Matches | Ladder | Playing List | Night Series | Best and Fairest | Reserves | Under 19s |
Carl Ditterich was the season's star recruit, with the Demons having paid $82,000 for him, but going the other way they lost Ross Dillon to South Australian side Norwood.
Stan Alves succeeded Frank Davis as captain, with 1972 vice-captain Barry Bourke losing his position to Gary Hardeman. Tony Sullivan was named deputy-vice captain.
The VFL extended metropolitan recruiting zones in the southern suburbs, adding the Carrum, Chelsea, Keysborough, Edithvale-Aspendale and Bonbeach clubs to Melbourne's area. This deprived the clubs of a $1000 payment to country sides when their players appeared in league games.
In March the club was embroiled in a controversy with the VFL about finals matches being played at Waverley. It was suggested that Melbourne, Richmond and Collingwood were ready to launch a breakaway competition.
The Demons had every opportunity to flex their muscles in the middle of the season. Four wins out of five had put them on the verge of the top five, but even with a run home that featured matches against the three bottom sides in the last five weeks of the season they won just one more game for the year and finished with eight straight losses.
Ian Ridley was sacked at the end of the season, leading to a player revolt where several senior players had to be lured back to the club after threatening to quit over the decision. Peter Keenan, Ray Biffin, Barry Bourke and Greg Wells all announced they would follow Ridley out of the club before cooler heads prevailed. Bourke was the only one never to play league football again. Ditterich was forced to deny that he was after the senior coaching role.
Eventually Bob Skilton was hired as coach for 1974, the first time the Demons had gone outside the club for a senior coach since Checker Hughes.
The club made a profit of $4382.
Sir Henry Bolte was again club patron while Lord Mayor Alan Walley was #2 Ticket Holder. Arthur King was Melbourne's VFL delegate.
At the end of the year the first election for committee positions was held since 1965. Seven of the retiring committee nominated along with ex-players Robert Miller and Phil Rhoden.
Practice Matches
| Opposition | Result | |||||
| Carlton | WIN | 129-76 | ||||
| Richmond | LOSS | 87-119 | ||||
Premiership Season
| Round | Opposition | Result | Score | |||
| 1 | St. Kilda | LOSS | 66-98 | |||
| 2 | Hawthorn | WIN | 100-98 | |||
| 3 | Carlton | LOSS | 75-82 | |||
| 4 | Fitzroy | WIN | 94-87 | |||
| 5 | Richmond | LOSS | 91-110 | |||
| 6 | Collingwood | LOSS | 76-100 | |||
| 7 | South Melbourne | WIN | 112-83 | |||
| 8 | Essendon | LOSS | 71-81 | |||
| 9 | Footscray | WIN | 74-68 | |||
| 10 | Geelong | WIN | 139-81 | |||
| 11 | North Melbourne | WIN | 90-81 | |||
| 12 | St. Kilda | LOSS | 54-80 | |||
| 13 | Hawthorn | LOSS | 105-112 | |||
| 14 | Fitzroy | WIN | 134-97 | |||
| 15 | Carlton | LOSS | 81-122 | |||
| 16 | Richmond | LOSS | 73-110 | |||
| 17 | Collingwood | LOSS | 87-126 | |||
| 18 | South Melbourne | LOSS | 78-86 | |||
| 19 | Essendon | LOSS | 101-115 | |||
| 20 | Footscray | LOSS | 73-110 | |||
| 21 | Geelong | LOSS | 98-113 | |||
| 22 | North Melbourne | LOSS | 66-71 | |||
Ladder
| W | D | L | % | P | ||
| Collingwood | 19 | 0 | 3 | 125.5 | 76 | |
| Richmond | 17 | 0 | 5 | 117.6 | 68 | |
| Carlton | 15 | 0 | 7 | 126.6 | 60 | |
| Essendon | 13 | 0 | 9 | 104.4 | 52 | |
| St. Kilda | 12 | 0 | 10 | 105.3 | 48 | |
| North Melbourne | 11 | 1 | 10 | 97.6 | 46 | |
| Hawthorn | 11 | 0 | 11 | 109.6 | 44 | |
| Fitzroy | 9 | 0 | 13 | 90.7 | 36 | |
| Footscray | 7 | 1 | 14 | 88.2 | 30 | |
| Melbourne | 7 | 0 | 15 | 91.8 | 28 | |
| Geelong | 6 | 0 | 16 | 78.4 | 24 | |
| South Melbourne | 4 | 0 | 18 | 79.0 | 16 | |
Playing List
| Number | Player | Games | Goals | |||
| 2 | Robert Flower | 13 | 4 | |||
| 3 | Trevor Rollinson | 4 | 0 | |||
| 4 | Tony Sullivan | 21 | 0 | |||
| 5 | John Clennett | 8 | 3 | |||
| 6 | Frank Davis | 18 | 1 | |||
| 7 | Graham Osborne | 21 | 13 | |||
| 8 | Peter Keenan | 15 | 13 | |||
| 9 | Stephen Kerley | 18 | 2 | |||
| 10 | Carl Ditterich | 22 | 5 | |||
| 11 | Greg Wells | 21 | 20 | |||
| 12 | Mike Collins | 2 | 1 | |||
| 14 | Barry Bourke | 21 | 0 | |||
| 15 | Stan Alves | 22 | 29 | |||
| 17 | Denis Clark | 14 | 3 | |||
| 18 | John Tilbrook | 21 | 24 | |||
| 19 | Ray Biffin | 22 | 5 | |||
| 20 | Shane McSpeerin | 4 | 5 | |||
| 21 | Graham Molloy | 4 | 4 | |||
| 22 | Henry Ritterman | 9 | 5 | |||
| 23 | Shane Fitzsimmons | 14 | 2 | |||
| 24 | Wayne Delmenico | 7 | 1 | |||
| 26 | Greg Parke | 21 | 21 | |||
| 27 | Ross Brewer | 18 | 32 | |||
| 28 | Tony Dullard | 3 | 5 | |||
| 29 | Noel Leary | 7 | 0 | |||
| 30 | Peter Williamson | 7 | 2 | |||
| 33 | Gary Hardeman | 21 | 6 | |||
| 34 | Mal Owens | 3 | 0 | |||
| 35 | Paul Callery | 22 | 28 | |||
| 36 | Glenn Swan | 13 | 21 | |||
| 39 | Peter Dilnot | 4 | 3 | |||
| 40 | John Cumming | 4 | 0 | |||
| 42 | John Morgan | 4 | 0 | |||
| 43 | Frank Giampaolo | 3 | 4 | |||
| 45 | Greg MacDonald | 4 | 6 | |||
| 49 | Ian McGuinness | 2 | 0 | |||
| 54 | Neil Chamberlain | 3 | 3 | |||
Best and Fairest
| Player | ||||||
| 1st | Carl Ditterich | |||||
| 2nd | Greg Wells | |||||
| 3rd | Barry Bourke | |||||
| 4th | Stan Alves | |||||
| 5th | Paul Callery | |||||
| 6th | Ray Biffin | |||||
| Round | Player | Charge | Sanction | |||
| Round 8 | Stephen Kerley | Striking | 2 weeks | |||
| Round 8 | Peter Keenan | Striking | 4 weeks | |||
Reserves
Best and Fairest - Noel Leary
Best and Fairest - John Cumming
Outstanding Service - Wayne Delmenico, Ian McGuinness, Henry Ritterman
Under 19s
Captain - Peter Slade
Best and Fairest - Robert Meades
Second Best and Fairest - Ray Potter
Outstanding Service - Neil McMullin, James Ahern, Barry Lierich
Under 17s
Under 17's Best and Fairest - Shane Young
Second Best and Fairest - Robert Santagada
Outstanding Service - Glen Campbell, David Gough, Greg Pimm
Media
Age - 31/01/1973
Age - 14/02/1973
Age 07/03/1973
Age - 02/04/1973
Inside Football - 30/06/1973
Age - 03/10/1973