1996 AFL season

The 1996 AFL season was the 100th season of the Australian Football League, 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.
won the premiership for the third time, after it defeated by 43 points in the 1996 AFL Grand Final.
The season was the final season for, a founding member of the VFL/AFL in 1897, and there were several celebrations of the league's centenary throughout the year.

Pre-season

Lightning Premiership

In the 1996 AFL Lightning Premiership final, defeated the 6.2 to 2.9 at Waverley Park.

Ansett Australia Cup

In the 1996 Ansett Australia Cup final, defeated 20.10 to 10.12 at Waverley Park.

Home-and-away season

Round 7

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.

Round 8

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.

Round 10

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.

Round 18

Round 22

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

Ladder

Attendance

Team	Hosted	Average	Highest	Lowest	Total
Essendon	11	49,526	87,549	15,794	544,789
Collingwood	11	44,723	71,663	21,126	491,953
Adelaide	11	39,428	45,266	31,880	433,713
Richmond	11	38,624	61,740	17,157	424,859
Carlton	11	35,891	70,152	15,277	394,802
North Melbourne	11	34,627	68,537	15,453	380,899
West Coast	11	32,448	40,085	22,044	356,932
Melbourne	11	30,315	63,196	8747	333,465
St Kilda	11	27,137	43,925	13,824	298,512
Geelong	11	25,161	50,074	17,538	276,775
Sydney	11	24,574	44,047	10,965	270,309
Hawthorn	11	23,624	38,263	14,286	259,868
Fremantle	11	22,473	33,041	17,513	247,204
Brisbane	11	18,088	21,644	14,222	198,968
Footscray	11	18,073	36,766	7677	198,800
Fitzroy	11	9482	13,497	5083	104,300
Totals	176	29,637	87,549	5083	5,216,148

Venue	Hosted	Average	Highest	Lowest	Total
MCG	51	46,114	87,549	15,494	2351,808
Football Park	11	39,428	45,266	31,880	433,713
Subiaco Oval	16	28,289	40,085	17,513	452,616
Waverley Park	24	25,545	43,925	13,824	613,079
WACA	6	25,253	31,411	19,360	151,520
SCG	11	24,574	44,047	10,965	270,309
Victoria Park	4	23,581	26,459	21,126	94,322
Kardinia Park	10	22,670	27,659	17,538	226,701
Gabba	11	18,088	21,644	14,222	198,968
Optus Oval	17	15,641	21,674	6469	265,892
Whitten Oval	15	10,482	16,804	5083	157,224
Totals	176	29,637	87,549	5083	5,216,148

Awards

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