Saturday September 27 - Melbourne Ground
Crowd - 5000 to 8000

Melbourne 0
Carlton 0

Match drawn

A match on September 13 between Carlton and Melbourne was postponed due to heavy rain, it was instead played two weeks later. The Blues hadn't been beaten all year and were easily the premiers, so all Melbourne had to play for was to be the first side to topple them all year.

On a hot day with a strong northerly breeze that didn't favour either team, Byrne captained Melbourne and he won the toss but the game soon developed into a series of scrimmages. The best chances fell to Loughnan - who marked within range but didn't kick high enough - and Williams who thought he had kicked a goal but was denied by the Carlton goal umpire. Carlton had a gilt edged chance as well, but a player who marked near goal tried to run around and missed the chance.

At half time the crowd began to encroach on the field, reducing the playing field to 30 yards wide. The rest of the game passed with neither side able to score. A late Melbourne opportunity was kept out and the 1873 season ended with a whimper as Carlton were crowned the best club in the colony.

Best were Charles Carr, Charles Forrester and Read.

Selected team
Byrne (c), Bell, Barker, Bennie, Bennie, Crooke, Carr, Carr, Forrester, Goldsmith (vc), Hammill, Loughnan, Loughnan, Moore, Miller, McCracken, Oliver, Read, Williams, Wheatland. Emergencies - Cumming and Raymond.

Media
Age - 13/09/1873
Leader - 13/09/1873
Age - 17/09/1873
Herald - 29/09/1873
Leader - 04/10/1873