The 1973 VFL season was the 77th season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 7 April until 29 September, and comprised a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series featuring the top five clubs.
The premiership was won by the Richmond Football Club for the eighth time, after it defeated by 30 points in the 1973 VFL Grand Final.
Background
One of the most significant innovations that came into force in 1973 was the implementation of a painted centre diamond area with 45-metre long sides, with a maximum of four players from each team permitted to stand within the diamond at centre bounces. Following a long period of lobbying by the VFL to the Australian Football Council for its introduction, the centre diamond was initially subject to a 12-month trial period. The purpose of this innovation was to try and solve the problem of congestion at centre bounces, as well as giving skilled players more space to benefit their teams.
The home-and-away season consisted of 22 rounds, with teams facing each other twice; matches 12 to 22 were the "home-and-away reverse" of matches 1 to 11. At the conclusion of the home-and-away fixtures, the 1973 VFL Premiers were determined by the specific format and conventions of the "McIntyre final five system".
Home-and-away season
Round 1
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 9.12 (66) | | 14.14 (98) | MCG | 44,737 | 7 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 20.17 (137) | | 12.15 (87) | Junction Oval | 14,988 | 7 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 19.13 (127) | | 19.15 (129) | Windy Hill | 27,959 | 7 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.22 (124) | | 6.12 (48) | Victoria Park | 23,412 | 7 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.14 (98) | | 9.16 (70) | Arden Street Oval | 15,934 | 7 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 10.8 (68) | | 18.16 (124) | Kardinia Park | 26,130 | 7 April 1973
Round 2
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.14 (98) | | 13.22 (100) | Glenferrie Oval | 13,128 | 14 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 18.15 (123) | | 14.12 (96) | Princes Park | 29,185 | 14 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 18.19 (127) | | 16.14 (110) | MCG | 29,665 | 14 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 20.8 (128) | | 10.11 (71) | Moorabbin Oval | 23,662 | 14 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.19 (109) | | 21.20 (146) | Lake Oval | 16,260 | 14 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.16 (82) | | 14.18 (102) | Western Oval | 24,794 | 14 April 1973
Round 3
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 21.23 (149) | | 11.13 (79) | Victoria Park | 24,042 | 21 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 12.9 (81) | | 17.8 (110) | Moorabbin Oval | 33,022 | 21 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.18 (84) | | 10.18 (78) | Arden Street Oval | 18,704 | 21 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.16 (118) | | 20.15 (135) | Lake Oval | 13,199 | 23 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.9 (75) | | 11.16 (82) | MCG | 49,439 | 23 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 27.8 (170) | | 15.12 (102) | VFL Park | 32,045 | 23 April 1973
Round 4
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 11.18 (84) | | 14.20 (104) | MCG | 48,923 | 25 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.12 (60) | | 19.16 (130) | VFL Park | 49,552 | 25 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 17.16 (118) | | 12.14 (86) | Kardinia Park | 14,739 | 28 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.9 (87) | | 13.16 (94) | Junction Oval | 16,101 | 28 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 14.11 (95) | | 12.11 (83) | Princes Park | 27,913 | 28 April 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 8.19 (67) | | 17.13 (115) | Western Oval | 25,314 | 28 April 1973
Round 5
|- bgcolor="#CCCCFF" | Home team | Home team score | Away team | Away team score | Venue | Crowd | Date |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.13 (91) | | 16.14 (110) | MCG | 37,667 | 5 May 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 16.26 (122) | | 15.16 (106) | Windy Hill | 19,007 | 5 May 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 6.12 (48) | | 10.16 (76) | Lake Oval | 13,513 | 5 May 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 18.16 (124) | | 16.12 (108) | Glenferrie Oval | 11,402 | 5 May 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 13.20 (98) | | 15.19 (109) | Arden Street Oval | 27,048 | 5 May 1973 |- bgcolor="#FFFFFF" | | 15.15 (105) | | 10.8 (68) | VFL Park | 19,654 | 5 May 1973