Round 4, 1973
Fitzroy vs Melbourne
Saturday 28 April
Venue: Junction Oval
Attendance: 16,101
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Final | |
| Fitzroy | 6.1 | 8.4 | 11.6 | 13.9.87 |
| Melbourne | 6.2 | 8.6 | 11.10 | 13.16.94 |
Melbourne win by 7 points
Goalkickers: Ross Brewer 6, Gary Hardeman 2, Greg Wells 2, John Clennett 1, Peter Keenan 1, Henry Ritterman 1
Milestones:
First Game
John Morgan
At the end of his first month as the highest paid recruit in club history Carl Ditterich finally arrived at the club for real. He wasn't his side's best on the day, but Captain Stan Alves and coach Ian Ridley acknowledged that his performance was Ditterich's best game yet for the Demons.
The lead changed nine times during the day, and was level four times in the last quarter.
On a day which had been marred by behind the play brawls and an all-in melee during the third quarter it was a horrible blooper by Fitzroy's Renato Serafini which cost his team. He was set to pump the ball into the forward line when he mis-kicked it and saw it land in the arms of Trevor Rollinson who went forward for Ross Brewer to boot his sixth and final goal.
Best were Brewer, Wells and Callery. Tilbrook (strained thigh) was replaced by Osborne in the second quarter and Fitzsimmons (bruised thigh) by first gamer Morgan in the last quarter. Keenan also suffered a bruised thigh.
Reserves
Melbourne 17.19 d. Fitzroy 12.8
Goals - Giampaolo 5, Swan 3, Cumming 2, Molloy 2, Payne 2, Dullard 1, McDonald 1, Wilson 1
Best - Giampaolo, Delmenico, Owens
Under 19s
Melbourne 27.23 d. Fitzroy 13.7
Goals - Chamberlain 6, McMullin 4, McNaught 4, Ough 4, McIlvenna 3, Ahern 2, Flower 1, Moorhouse 1, Reed 1, Slade 1
Best - Meades, Chamberlain, McNaught
Media
Age - 30/04/1973
Football Record R5 1973