Coach: Keith McKenzie
Captain: TBD
Best & Fairest: Eric Pascoe
Gardiner Medal: Vin Catoggio
Best First Year Player: Craig Davis
Leading Goalkicker: Craig Davis 63 goals (3rd in the competition), Eric Pascoe 32 goals (14th in the competition), and Rod Ashman 27 goals (17th in the competition)
Position: 5th
Premier: Richmond
Round 1: 7th April 1973
Geelong 19.9.123
Carlton 14.22.106
Result: Lost by 17 points.
Goalkickers: Syd Jackson 4, Graeme Robertson 3, Gary Schiele 3, Rod Ashman 2, Michael Dixon 1, Terry Kernan 1.
Best: Peter Jones, Syd Jackson, Graeme Whitnall, Kevin Hall, Gary Schiele, Rod Ashman.
Round 2: 14th April 1973
Carlton 14.16.100
Nth Melb. 13.13.91
Result: Won by 9 Points.
Goalkickers: Rod Ashman 5, Craig Davis 3, George Miller 1, B.Ireland 1, Graeme Robertson 1, Vin Catoggio 1, Peter Bacon 1, Gary Schiele 1.
Best: Rod Ashman, Michael Dixon, Craig Davis, Vin Catoggio, George Miller.
Round 3: 23rd April 1973
Melbourne
Carlton
Result:
Goalkickers:
Best:
Round 4: 28th April 1973
Carlton 13.15.93
Hawthorn 17.16.118
Result: Lost by 25 points
Goalkickers: Craig Davis 6, Eric Pascoe 2, Ray Koeleman 1, Alan Mangels 1, George Miller 1, John Trueman 1, Graeme Whitnall 1.
Best: Garry Crane, Craig Davis, Ray Koeleman, Rod Austin, Alan Mangels, Eric Pascoe.
Round 5: 5th May 1973
Carlton 17.15.117
Fitzroy 9.12.66
Result: Won by 51 points
Goalkickers: Craig Davis 5, Aitken 3, Syd Jackson 2, John Warden 2, Rod Austin 1, Vin Catoggio 1, Garry Crane 1, Alan Mangels 1, George Miller 1.
Best: Garry Crane, Syd Jackson, Craig Davis, Ray Koeleman, Rod Austin, Vin Catoggio.
Round 6: 12th May 1973
Richmond 16.19.115
Carlton 15.14.104
Result: Lost by 11 points
Goalkickers: Craig Davis 6, Rod Austin 2, Terry Kernan 2, Andy Lukas 2, Alan Mangels 2, Vin Catoggio 1.
Best: Vin Waite, Craig Davis, Andy Lukas, Vin Catoggio, Bryan Quirk, Peter Bacon.
Round 7: 19th May 1973
Carlton 16.17.113
Collingwood 8.21.69
Result: Won by 44 points
Goalkickers: Andy Lukas 3, Rod Ashman 2, Terry Kernan 2, Eric Pascoe 2, Malcolm Potter 2, Graeme Whitnall 2, Bryan Quirk 1, Lance Styles 1, Graeme Whitnall 1.
Best: Lance Styles, Andy Lukas, Tony Smith, Graeme Whitnall, Eric Pascoe, Rod Ashman.
Round 8: 26th May 1973
Sth Melb. 9.18.72
Carlton 18.23.131
Result: Won by 59 points
Goalkickers: Craig Davis 7, Rod Ashman 3, Malcolm Potter 2, Andy Lukas 1, George Miller 1, Eric Pascoe 1, Phil Pinnell 1, Tony Smith 1, Graeme Whitnall 1.
Best: Graeme Whitnall, Rod Ashman, Craig Davis, Andy Lukas, Eric Pascoe, Lance Styles.
Round 9: 4th June 1973
Carlton 13.14.92
Essendon 3.12.30
Result: Won by 62 points
Goalkickers: Bryan Quirk 5, Eric Pascoe 3, George Miller 2, Craig Davis 1, Alan Mangels 1, Malcolm Potter 1.
Best: Bryan Quirk, Paul Hurst, Tony Smith, John Trueman, Lance Styles, Eric Pascoe.
Round 10: 9th June 1973
Carlton 15.18.108
Footscray 8.15.63
Result: Won by 45 points
Goalkickers: Rod Austin 3, Ray Byrne 3, John Warden 3, Rod Ashman 2, Malcolm Potter 2, Alan Mangels 1, Graeme Whitnall 1.
Best: Phil Pinnell, Ray Byrne, Rod Austin, Craig Davis, Tony Smith, Rod Ashman.
Round 11: 16th June 1973
St Kilda 14.15.99
Carlton 11.9.75
Result: Lost by 24 points
Goalkickers: Lance Styles 3, Rod Austin 2, Vin Catoggio 2, Craig Davis 2, Rod Ashman 1, John Warden 1.
Best: Lance Styles, Peter Fyffe, Craig Davis, Ray Koeleman, Phil Pinnell, Vin Catoggio.
Round 12: 23rd June 1973
Carlton 9.11.65
Geelong 9.10.64
Result: Won by 1 point.
Goalkickers: Graeme Robertson 4, Craig Davis 3, Paul Hurst 1, Tony Smith 1.
Best: Craig Davis, John Trueman, Tony Smith, Phil Pinnell, Vin Catoggio, Graeme Robertson.
Round 13: 30th June 1973
Nth Melb. 15.11.101
Carlton 20.14.134
Result: Won by 33 Points.
Goalkickers:
Best:
Round 14: 7th July 1973
Hawthorn 18.10.118
Carlton 10.12.72
Result: Lost by 46 points
Goalkickers: Rod Ashman 3, Paul Hurst 2, Graeme Robertson 2, John Warden 2, Eric Pascoe 1.
Best: Ray Koeleman, Tony Smith, Malcolm Potter, Graeme Whitnall, Rod Ashman, John Trueman.
Round 15: 14th July 1973
Carlton 13.19.97
Melbourne 4.10.34
Result: Won by 63 Points.
Goalkickers:
Best:
Round 16: 21st July 1973
Fitzroy
Carlton
Result:
Goalkickers:
Best:
Round 17: 28th July 1973
Carlton 9.13.67
Richmond 12.14.86
Result: Lost by 19 points
Goalkickers: Bryan Quirk 3, George Miller 2, Malcolm Potter 2, Terry Kernan 1, Alan Mangels 1.
Best: Terry Kernan, Graeme Robertson, John Trueman, Kevin Hall, Graeme Whitnall, Peter Hall.
Round 18: 4th August 1973
Collingwood 18.18.126
Carlton 22.15.147
Result: Won by 21 points
Goalkickers: Craig Davis 6, Eric Pascoe 4, Alan Mangels 3, Neil Chandler 2, George Miller 2, Vin Catoggio 1, Terry Kernan 1, Malcolm Potter 1, John Warden 1, Graeme Whitnall 1.
Best: Bryan Quirk, Eric Pascoe, Alan Mangels, Graeme Robertson, Craig Davis, Neil Chandler.
Round 19: 11th August 1973
Carlton 15.22.112
Sth Melb. 8.11.59
Result: Lost by 53 points
Goalkickers: Craig Davis 5, Eric Pascoe 3, John Warden 3, Bryan Quirk 2, Peter Hall 1, Graeme Robertson 1.
Best: Peter Hall, Kevin Hall, Craig Davis, Graeme Robertson, Bryan Quirk, John Warden.
Round 20: 18th August 1973
Essendon 10.14.74
Carlton 14.11.95
Result: Won by 21 points
Goalkickers: Craig Davis 8, Kevin Hall 1, Mark Maclure 1, Alan Mangels 1, Malcolm Potter 1, Bryan Quirk 1, John Warden 1.
Best: Bryan Quirk, Graeme Robertson, Alan Mangels, Craig Davis, Eric Pascoe, Tony Smith.
Round 21: 25th August 1973
Footscray
Carlton
Result:
Goalkickers:
Best:
Round 22: 1st September 1973
Carlton 18.10.118
St Kilda 8.12.60
Result: Won by 58 Points.
Goalkickers: Eric Pascoe 5, Ian Robertson 3, Terry Kernan 2, Vin Catoggio 2, John Warden 2, Paul Hurst 2, Mark Maclure 1, Rod Ashman 1, Syd Jackson 1.
Best: Eric Pascoe, Phil Pinnell, Vin Catoggio, Rod Ashman, Tony Smith, Paul Hurst, John Trueman.
1973 Reserves End of Home & Away Season Ladder
| Pos | Team | Wins | Losses | Draws | Points | For | Against | % |
| 1 | Richmond | 19 | 3 | 0 | 76 | 2724 | 1737 | 156.8 |
| 2 | Essendon | 16 | 6 | 0 | 64 | 2262 | 1806 | 125.2 |
| 3 | Geelong | 14 | 7 | 1 | 58 | 2348 | 1969 | 119.2 |
| 4 | Carlton | 14 | 8 | 0 | 56 | 2207 | 1869 | 118.1 |
| 5 | Footscray | 11 | 10 | 1 | 46 | 2060 | 2092 | 98.5 |
| 6 | Hawthorn | 10 | 12 | 0 | 40 | 2190 | 2171 | 100.9 |
| 7 | Melbourne | 9 | 12 | 1 | 38 | 1876 | 2026 | 92.6 |
| 8 | Collingwood | 9 | 13 | 0 | 36 | 2094 | 2302 | 91.0 |
| 9 | Fitzroy | 9 | 13 | 0 | 36 | 2076 | 2362 | 87.9 |
| 10 | Nth Melbourne | 7 | 14 | 1 | 30 | 1965 | 2216 | 88.7 |
| 11 | St Klida | 7 | 15 | 0 | 28 | 1813 | 2028 | 89.4 |
| 12 | Sth Melbourne | 5 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 1706 | 2743 | 62.2 |
1973 Reserves Finals Series
Elimination Final: 8th September 1973
Footscray 15.13.103
Carlton 13.9.87
Result: Lost by 16 Points.
Goalkickers: Eric Pascoe 3, John Warden 3, Vin Catoggio 2, Graeme Robertson 2, Rod Ashman 1, Rod Austin 1, Graeme Whitnall 1.
Best: Vin Catoggio, Eric Pascoe, Rod Austin, Lance Styles, John Warden, Graeme Robertson.
Qualifying Final - Geelong 14.16.100 d Essendon 12.15.87
1st Semi Final - Footscray 17.18.120 d Essendon 9.13.67
2nd Semi Final - Richmond 19.11.125 d Geelong 16.15.111
Preliminary Final - Geelong 17.22.104 d Footscray 16.5.101