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.
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.[1] 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.[2]
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".
Footscray ended its otherwise disappointing season on a high note with a third consecutive victory, this time the eventual premiers Richmond. After scores were level at three-quarter time, ruckman Gary Dempsey was moved to full-forward where he kicked two key goals. Former Carlton rover Adrian Gallagher (with 31 kicks) and Bernie Quinlan were outstanding for the Bulldogs, while Kevin Bartlett was by far the Tigers' best.[3]
Hawthorn snapped its four-game losing streak and farewelled Glenferrie Oval in style with a hard-fought win over a plucky South Melbourne side. Leading by only five points at the main break, the Hawks kicked clear in the second half to win by 37 points. Leigh Matthews was easily best-on-ground with 36 touches and 3 goals, while Michael Moncrieff chimed in with six goals.
The VFL introduced a new clearance system, "10-year rule", in order to render the VFL immune from the sorts of "restraint of trade" difficulties that were being experienced, at the time, in New South Wales in relation to Rugby League footballers, whereby any VFL player who had played ten years with a single club was eligible for a free transfer to the club of his choice.
Although twenty-two VFL players were eligible to do so, only six players, George Bisset (Footscray to Collingwood), Barry Davis (Essendon to North Melbourne), Carl Ditterich (St Kilda to Melbourne), Adrian Gallagher (Carlton to Footscray), John Rantall (South Melbourne to North Melbourne), and Doug Wade (Geelong to North Melbourne) took advantage of the new rule. The rule was rescinded in May 1973.
The new North Melbourne coach Ron Barassi recruited champion half-backs Barry Davis (who had already played 218 games for Essendon), John Rantall (who had already played 174 games for South Melbourne), and champion full-forward Doug Wade (who had already played 208 games for Geelong). North Melbourne improved from last place in 1972 to sixth in 1973.
In Round 21, Hawthorn full-forward Peter Hudson, who had been injured in Round 1 of 1972, returned to the VFL. He beat four opponents and kicked 8 goals.
In Round 22, Hawthorn hosted its last senior VFL football match at Glenferrie Oval. The ground was notable for its temperamental playing surface and narrow flanks (wedged between the railway line on the one side and houses on the other). The venue had long been described by football fans as "the sardine can." Hawthorn subsequently played its home games at Princes Park for the next eighteen seasons.
The Richmond Football Club won the premiership in all grades in 1973: its Senior Team, Reserves Team and Under-19 team all won their Grand Finals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Grand Final Day; and the Essex Heights Football Club, which served as Richmond's Under-17 team, won the South-East Suburban League premiership.[4]
The reserves premiership was won by Richmond. Richmond 17.18 (120) defeated Geelong 8.12 (60) in the grand final, held as a curtain-raiser to the seniors Grand Final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 29 September.[5]
^Percy Beams (1 October 1973). "Tom's grand design". The Age. Melbourne. p. 28.
^"Wesley gets into the Barrot act". The Age. Melbourne. 1 October 1973. p. 27.
Hogan, P., The Tigers of Old, The Richmond Football Club, (Richmond), 1996. ISBN0-646-18748-1
Maplestone, M., Flying Higher: History of the Essendon Football Club 1872–1996, Essendon Football Club, (Melbourne), 1996. ISBN0-9591740-2-8
Rogers, S. & Brown, A., Every Game Ever Played: VFL/AFL Results 1897–1997 (Sixth Edition), Viking Books, (Ringwood), 1998. ISBN0-670-90809-6
Ross, J. (ed), 100 Years of Australian Football 1897–1996: The Complete Story of the AFL, All the Big Stories, All the Great Pictures, All the Champions, Every AFL Season Reported, Viking, (Ringwood), 1996. ISBN0-670-86814-0