Round 22, 1973
North Melbourne vs Melbourne
Saturday 1 September
Venue: Waverley
Attendance: 9411
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| North Melbourne | 4.2 | 6.3 | 10.5 | 11.5.71 |
| Melbourne | 3.1 | 6.3 | 7.4 | 9.12.66 |
North Melbourne win by 5 points
Goalkickers: Graham Osborne 2, Paul Callery 1, Neil Chamberlain 1, Robert Flower 1, Greg Parke 1, Henry Ritterman 1, Glenn Swan 1, John Tilbrook 1
Milestones:
Last Game
Barry Bourke
Frank Davis
Greg MacDonald
Henry Ritterman
Glenn Swan
Last MFC Game
Paul Callery
Greg Parke
Last Game as Coach
Ian Ridley
In a dead-rubber match played without a great deal of intensity the Demons could have won had it not been for their dysfunctional forward line setup. 2.8 in the last quarter was no reward for the efforts of the midfielders and it consigned them to an eighth straight loss to round out the year.
Conspiracy theorists claimed the Demons were robbed though. Greg McDonald kicked a ball off the ground in the last quarter which was clearly a goal but paid a point, and not long after Robert Flower kicked a ball through the goals which hit John Clennett a yard behind the goalline but was paid as touched.
Ron Barassi ended his first season as coach of North Melbourne out of finals contention but having improved North from one win in 1972 to eleven victories.
Best were Wells, Sullivan and Flower. Ian Ridley would be sacked as coach soon after. Brewer (illness) was replaced by Ritterman in the selected side. Parker (shoulder) was replaced by Delmenico during the third quarter and Swan by McDonald in the last quarter.
Reserves
North Melbourne 14.13 d. Melbourne 5.16
Goals - McSpeerin 2, Mills 1, Owens 1, Payne 1
Best - Moore, Molloy, McSpeerin
Under 19s
Melbourne 12.9 d. North Melbourne 9.19
Goals - Ellingworth 4, McIllvenna 3, Lierich 1, McMullin 1, Maxey 1, Reed 1, Ross 1
Best - Lierich, Power, Potter
Media
Age - 03/09/1973
Football Record 1973 finals