1996 AFL season

The 1996 AFL season was the 100th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featured sixteen clubs and ran from 29 March until 28 September, comprising a 22-game home-and-away season followed by a finals series.

North Melbourne won the premiership for the third time, after it defeated Sydney by 43 points in the 1996 AFL Grand Final.

The season was notable as the final for Fitzroy, a founding member of the VFL/AFL in 1897, as well as for several celebrations of the league's centenary throughout the year.

In the 1996 AFL Lightning Premiership final, Essendon defeated the Brisbane Bears 6.2 (38) to 2.9 (21) at Waverley Park.

In the 1996 Ansett Australia Cup final, St Kilda defeated Carlton 20.10 (130) to 10.12 (72) at Waverley Park.

Note: The opening four matches of this round replicated the opening round of the inaugural 1897 VFL season, with Essendon and Geelong playing each other on the day of the 99th anniversary.

Note: Ben Hart took the mark of the year in Adelaide's win over St Kilda.
Note: Fitzroy's victory was the last win they had in the AFL before merging.

NOTE: St Kilda vs Essendon match on Saturday night was disrupted by a power failure during the third quarter, resulting the match being completed the following week on the Tuesday night with 2 12-minutes halves.

Note: Last game of Fitzroy Lions before merger with Brisbane Bears to become Brisbane Lions.

Rules for classification: 1. premiership points; 2. percentage; 3. points for
Average score: 94.0
Source: AFL Tables

• The Brownlow Medal was awarded to Michael Voss of Brisbane Bears and James Hird of Essendon.
• The Leigh Matthews Trophy was awarded to Corey McKernan of North Melbourne.
• The Coleman Medal was awarded to Tony Lockett of Sydney.
• The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Glenn Archer of North Melbourne.
• The AFL Rising Star award was awarded to Ben Cousins of West Coast.
• The Wooden Spoon was "awarded" to Fitzroy in their final season before the club merged with the Brisbane Bears.
• The reserves premiership was won by North Melbourne
• The seniors premiership was won by North Melbourne

• North Melbourne's Corey McKernan received the same number of Brownlow Medal votes as the joint-winners James Hird and Michael Voss, but was ineligible to receive a medal as McKernan was suspended for one match during the season for kneeing. McKernan went on to win the AFL Players Association MVP, which is not subject to the same eligibility criteria.
• The Round 10 game between St Kilda and Essendon was interrupted at the twenty-minute mark of the third quarter when Waverley Park lost power, causing the floodlights to go off. The remaining 24 minutes was played three nights later on Tuesday, 11 June.^[1]
  • Subsequently, the AFL introduced contingencies that a game could be abandoned, with the progress result accepted as final at any point beyond half time, at the agreement of the captains when (a) any unexpected incident delays a game by an hour, or (b) if dangerous weather conditions, most typically lightning, prevail.
• Footscray's 1996 season became the subject of the sports film, Year of the Dogs, which was released theatrically the following year.
  • After their round 17 loss to Collingwood, caretaker coach Terry Wallace infamously sprayed the players during his post-match address.^[2]
• North Melbourne received a special gold-coloured premiership cup, instead of the typical silver, to signify what the AFL had represented as its Centenary Season throughout 1996. (Note: 1996 was the VFL/AFL's hundredth season, which by strictest definition is not the same as the centenary year, which would have been in 1997).
• Sydney recorded its first finals win since 1945 in the qualifying final against Hawthorn, and reached its first grand final since the same season (as South Melbourne).
• The season is perhaps best remembered for its preliminary final between minor premiers Sydney and sixth-placed Essendon. With scores level on 10.9 (69), Sydney's Tony Lockett scored a behind with a kick after the siren to win the game, and sent the Swans into their first Grand Final since 1945.
  • Lockett had been under an injury cloud with a groin problem during the preceding week, and there was some doubt whether he would play.

• 1996 AFL season at AFL Tables
• 1996 AFL season at Australian Football