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

Tribunal

Round	Player	Charge	Sanction
Round 8	Stephen Kerley	Striking	2 weeks
Round 8	Peter Keenan	Striking	4 weeks

Reserves

1973 Reserves Season

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