1996 AFL draft

The 1996 AFL draft was held at the conclusion of the 1996 Australian Football League (AFL) season. The inaugural rookie draft was held with the 1997 pre-season draft.
The AFL draft is the annual draft of new unsigned players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.
Clubs receive picks based on the position in which they finish on the ladder during the season, although these picks can be swapped around by teams for trading players.

Trades: club by club

[Adelaide [Football Club|Adelaide]]

Brett James from for Jonathon Ross
Trent Ormond-Allen from for draft pick #83
Clay Sampson from for Nick Pesch
Tim Cook and Aaron Keating from for Scott Hodges
Nick Laidlaw from for David Brown
Barry Standfield from for draft picks #32 and #47

Carlton">Carlton Football Club">Carlton

Ben Nelson and Andrew Balkwill from for Brent Heaver
Mick McGuane from for draft picks #19 and #65

Collingwood">Collingwood Football Club">Collingwood

Anthony Rocca from for Ben Wilson, Mark Orchard and draft picks #14 and #33
John R. Barnett from for draft pick #70
Richard Osborne from for draft pick #61
Jonathon Ross from for Brett James

Richmond">Richmond Football Club">Richmond

Trent Nichols from for draft pick #50

St Kilda">St Kilda Football Club">St Kilda

Troy Gray from for draft pick #34

Sydney">Sydney Swans">Sydney

Mark Orchard and Ben Wilson from for Anthony Rocca
David McEwan from for Justin Crawford

West Coast">West Coast Eagles">West Coast

Ilija Grgic from for Luke Trew and draft pick #20

[Western Bulldogs]

Simon Minton-Connell from for draft pick #29
Luke Trew from for Ilija Grgic

1996 national draft

Pick	Player	Recruited from	Club
1	Michael Gardiner	Claremont
2	Chris Heffernan	Geelong
3	Rory Hilton	Murray
4	Mark Kinnear	Calder
5	Daniel McAlister	Tasmania
6	John Rombotis	Fitzroy
7	Bowen Lockwood	Geelong
8	Leigh Brockman	Tasmania
9	Mark Harwood	Tasmania
10	Nathan Brown	Bendigo
11	Brent Grgic	Geelong
12	Heath Black	Oakleigh Chargers
13	Tom Gilligan	Southern
14	Brett O'Farrell	Prahran Dragons
15	Max Hudghton	West Brisbane
16	Pat Steinfort	Oakleigh Chargers
17	Rowan Warfe	Fitzroy
18	Gerrard Bennett	Tasmania
19	Brent Tuckey	Ballarat
20	Matthew Dent	Fitzroy
21	Tim Williams	Perth Football Club\|East Perth]
22	Alistair Nicholson	Claremont
23	Evan Hewitt	Subiaco
24	Josh Wooden	NSW-ACT
25	Andrew Bomford	Sydney
26	Tim Notting	Ballarat
27	Troy Cook	Perth
28	Jason Johnson	Calder
29	Nathan Turvey	South Fremantle
30	Hayden Lamaro	Murray
31	Jess Sinclair	Eastern
32	Jim Plunkett	Northern
33	Will Sangster	Prahran Dragons
34	Shannon Corcoran	Brisbane
35	Mark Chaffey	Caulfield Grammar
36	Jonathan Hay	East Fremantle
37	Adam Kingsley	Essendon
38	Sam Smart	Norwood
39	Nick Stone	Claremont
40	Forfeited due to violation of salary cap regulations	-
41	Matthew Manfield	Fitzroy
42	Martin Pike	Fitzroy
43	Paul Corrigan	Melbourne
44	Jacob Rhodes	Geelong
45	Clayton Gardiner	Claremont
46	Matthew Clucas	East Fremantle
47	Brett Montgomery	Footscray
48	Marty Warry	Fitzroy
49	Jason Heatley	West Coast
50	Luke McCormick	NSW-ACT
51	Robert McMahon	Fitzroy
52	Damien Lock	Bendigo
53	Michael Braun	Bendigo
54	Mathew Watson	Essendon
55	Steven McKee	Myrtelford
56	Cameron Mooney	NSW-ACT
57	Trent Cummings	Fitzroy
58	Paul Dooley	Williamstown
59	Anthony McDonald	Melbourne
60	Andrew Eccles	Northern
61	Stephen Powell	Melbourne
62	Andrew Thompson	St Kilda
63	Jason Baldwin	Fitzroy
64	Darren Collins	Port Adelaide
65	Brad Cassidy	Fitzroy
66	Paul Hills	Essendon
67	Byron Pickett	Port Adelaide
68	Russell Robertson	Tasmania
69	Chad Rintoul	East Fremantle
70	Adam Hay	East Perth
71	Brett Knowles	Gippsland
72	Brent Frewen	Fitzroy
73	Brett Howman	NSW-ACT
74	Chris Jackson	NSW-ACT
75	Mark Winterton	Southern
76	Greg Dempsey	West Adelaide
77	Marcus Barham	Calder
78	Lucas Fleming	Northern
79	Daniel Donati	Old Xavs
80	Chris Holcombe	Southern
81	Anthony Franchina	Carlton
82	Duncan O'Toole	Devonport
83	Ashley Gehling	Melbourne
84	Josh Mahoney	Williamstown
85	Brad Scott	Hawthorn
86	Ben Parker	Murray
87	Brad Fuller	NSW-ACT
88	Phil Smith	West Perth
89	Dwayne Griffin	Swan Districts
90	Leigh Singline	Sth Launceston

1997 pre-season draft

Pick	Player	Recruited from	Club
1	Stephen Paxman	Fitzroy	Port Adelaide
2	Paul Hudson	Hawthorn	Western Bulldogs
3	Leigh Newton	Albury	Melbourne
4	Jason Taylor	Hawthorn	Collingwood
5	Brett Cook	Fitzroy	St Kilda
6	Brett Evans	Springvale	Richmond
7	Jon Hassall	Collingwood	Hawthorn
8	Darren Hulme	Southern Stingrays	Carlton
9	Matthew Banks	Eastern Ranges	Essendon
10	John Stevens	Old Ivanhoe Grammarians	Sydney
11	Brett Chandler	Fitzroy	North Melbourne
12	Steven Pitt	Collingwood	Western Bulldogs
13	Robert Pyman	Collingwood	Melbourne
14	Robert Schaefer	Central District	Collingwood
15	Brad Campbell	Port Melbourne	St Kilda
16	Todd Ridley	Fremantle	Hawthorn
17	Anthony Mellington	Fitzroy	North Melbourne
18	Shane Woewodin	East Fremantle	Melbourne
19	Michael R. Gardiner	Subiaco	Collingwood
20	Nigel Credin	Fitzroy	Hawthorn

1997 rookie draft

The first AFL rookie draft was held on 25 February 1997. Only players aged between 18 and 23 were eligible to be drafted. Whilst each club could draft up to six players onto their Rookie Lists, only, and selected a full complement, whilst and declined to take part.

Pick	Player	Recruited from	AFL club
1	Jason Dylan		Port Adelaide
2	Adam Contessa	reserves	Western Bulldogs
3	Nathan Bassett		Melbourne
4	Cameron Venables		Fremantle
5	Ben Marsh		Adelaide
6	Mal Michael	reserves	Collingwood
7	Justin Plapp	Burnie	Richmond
8	Brad L. Campbell	Kyabram	Hawthorn
9	Michael Brown	reserves	Geelong
10	Mark Porter		Carlton
11	Paul Blair		West Coast
12	Mark Johnson	Calder U18	Essendon
13	Pass		Brisbane
14	Nathan Tresize	Murray U18	Sydney
15	Julian Kirzner	reserves	North Melbourne
16	Luke Ottens		Port Adelaide
17	Jason Lappin	reserves	Western Bulldogs
18	Daniel Ward	reserves	Melbourne
19	Matthew Richter		Fremantle
20	Steven Coghill		Adelaide
21	Andrew Pugsley	Eastern U18	Collingwood
22	Jason Ramsey		Richmond
23	Pass		Hawthorn
24	Shawn Lewfatt		Geelong
25	Pass		Carlton
26	Ryan Webb		West Coast
27	Gary Moorcroft	reserves	Essendon
28	Pass		Brisbane
29	Pass		Sydney
30	Bryan Beinke		North Melbourne
31	Pass		Port Adelaide
32	Pass		Western Bulldogs
33	Matthew Bishop		Melbourne
34	Rupert Betheras		Fremantle
35	Pass		Adelaide
36	Michael Polley		Collingwood
37	Pass		Richmond
38	Pass		Hawthorn
39	Pass		Geelong
40	Pass		Carlton
41	Trent Simpson		West Coast
42	Andrew Ramsden	Old Trinity	Essendon
43	Pass		Brisbane
44	Pass		Sydney
45	Pass		North Melbourne
46	Pass		Port Adelaide
47	Pass		Western Bulldogs
48	Russell Robertson		Melbourne
49	Scott Gooch		Fremantle
50	Pass		Adelaide
51	Brett Warburton	reserves	Collingwood
52	Pass		Richmond
53	Pass		Hawthorn
54	Pass		Geelong
55	Pass		Carlton
56	Todd Nener		West Coast
57	Luke Trew		Essendon
58	Pass		Brisbane
59	Steven Mahar	Belconnen	Sydney
60	Pass		North Melbourne
61	Pass		Port Adelaide
62	Pass		Western Bulldogs
63	Duncan O'Toole		Melbourne
64	Gavin Milentis		Fremantle
65	Pass		Adelaide
66	Peter O'Brien	Old Melburnians	Collingwood
67	Pass		Richmond
68	Pass		Hawthorn
69	Pass		Geelong
70	Pass		Carlton
71	Pass		West Coast
72	Andrew Henderson	University Blues	Essendon
73	Pass		Brisbane
74	Leigh Marshall		Sydney
75	Pass		North Melbourne
76	Pass		Port Adelaide
77	Pass		Western Bulldogs
78	James McDonald	Old Xaverians	Melbourne
79	Pass		Fremantle
80	Pass		Adelaide
81	Mark Oxley	Castlemaine	Collingwood
82	Pass		Richmond
83	Pass		Hawthorn
84	Pass		Geelong
85	Pass		Carlton
86	Pass		West Coast
87	Damien Franken	Donvale	Essendon
88	Pass		Brisbane
89	Adam Ryder	Belconnen	Sydney
90	Pass		North Melbourne

Port Adelaide zone selections

As part of Port Adelaide's entry to the AFL they were entitled to recruit some uncontracted players from other AFL clubs and players from the SANFL prior to the national draft. Clubs that lost players were entitled to compensation selections before both the first and second rounds of the 1996 national draft.

Uncontracted player selection

Ian Downsborough : compensation selections #1 and #24
Gavin Wanganeen : compensation selections #2 and #25
Matthew Primus : compensation selections #3 and #26 to
Adam Heuskes : compensation selections #4 and #27
Scott Cummings : compensation selections #5 and #28

Brisbane Lions pre-draft selections

As part of the conditions of the merger between Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Football Club, Brisbane was able to recruit up to eight players from Fitzroy into the newly created Brisbane Lions.