| 1996 AFL Grand Final | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date | 28 September 1996 | |||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Melbourne Cricket Ground | |||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 93,102 | |||||||||||||||
| Favourite | North Melbourne | |||||||||||||||
| Umpires | Gavin Dore (156), Mark Nash (63), Bryan Sheehan (223) | |||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | ||||||||||||||||
| Pre-match entertainment | A collection of past singers | |||||||||||||||
| Accolades | ||||||||||||||||
| Norm Smith Medallist | Glenn Archer (North Melbourne) | |||||||||||||||
| Broadcast in Australia | ||||||||||||||||
| Network | Seven Network | |||||||||||||||
| Commentators | Bruce McAvaney (host and commentator) Sandy Roberts (commentator) Leigh Matthews (expert commentator) Robert DiPierdomenico (boundary rider) Neil Kerley (boundary rider) | |||||||||||||||
The1996 AFL Grand Final was anAustralian rules football game contested between theNorth Melbourne Football Club and theSydney Swans, held at theMelbourne Cricket Ground inMelbourne on 28 September 1996. It was the 100th annualgrand final of theAustralian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football League), staged to determine thepremiers for the1996 AFL season. The match, attended by 93,102 people, was won by North Melbourne by 43 points.
Sydney were playing in a grand final for the first time since relocating from South Melbourne. It was the Swans' first appearance in a premiership decider since losing the1945 VFL Grand Final, while it was North Melbourne's first since losing the1978 VFL Grand Final.
At the conclusion of thehome-and-away season, Sydney had finished first on the AFL ladder with 16 wins and 5 losses and one draw, winning theMcClelland Trophy (aka the minor premiership). North Melbourne had finished second with 16 wins and 6 losses.
The lead-up to the game was dominated by the tribunal case of Sydney defenderAndrew Dunkley, who was to be the Swans' match-up for star Kangaroos forwardWayne Carey. On the Wednesday before the grand final, Dunkley was reported on video evidence – which was still relatively uncommon practice at the time – for strikingEssendon'sJames Hird in the previous week's preliminary final. On the Thursday before the game, Sydney successfully obtained a Supreme Court injunction to prevent the case from being heard until after the grand final, with the judge ruling that requiring Dunkley to face the tribunal only one day after learning of the charge and two days before the grand final would deny him natural justice and deny him the time required to prepare a defence. Consequently, Dunkley was free to play.[1] When Dunkley ultimately faced the tribunal, he was suspended for three weeks.[2]
The AFL's centenary year was crowned by North Melbourne, who made amends for the disappointment of three successive failed finals campaigns. The Kangaroos won their third flag despite a slow start. Led by bullocking defenderGlenn Archer and superstarsCorey McKernan andWayne Carey, the Kangaroos were hellbent in their premiership quest.
The Swans started well to lead by 18 points at quarter-time.[3] WhenJason Mooney scored early in the second quarter, the Swans' lead extended to 24 points. However,Glenn Freeborn's move to the forward line sparked the Kangaroos, with Freeborn kicking three goals for the quarter[3] andDarren Crocker andBrett Allison each kicking one, and by half time the Kangaroos led by two points.
North Melbourne dominated the third quarter, with two goals toCraig Sholl and one each toPeter Bell and Crocker, which saw them leading by 25 points at three-quarter-time.
The Kangaroos kicked the first two goals of the final quarter throughAnthony Stevens andMark Roberts to effectively kill the contest. The two teams traded goals until the end of the game, with North ultimately triumphing by 43 points.
Tony Lockett tried hard for the Swans in his first and only grand final, booting six goals.Paul Roos was playing in his 314th game of VFL/AFL football. He continues to hold the record for the most games played before participating in his first grand final.[citation needed]
TheNorm Smith Medal was awarded to Archer for being judged the best player afield.
     North Melbourne |  Sydney |
| 1996 AFL Grand Final | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, 28 September (2:45 pm) | North Melbourne | def. | Sydney | MCG (crowd: 93,102) | Report |
| 3.2 (20) 8.7 (55) 12.14 (86) 19.17 (131) | Q1 Q2 Q3 Final | 6.2 (38) 8.5 (53) 9.7 (61) 13.10 (88) | Umpires: Dore, Nash,Sheehan Norm Smith Medal:Glenn Archer Television broadcast:Seven Network | ||
| Crocker 3,Freeborn 3,Allison 2,Roberts 2,Sholl 2,Stevens 2,Bell,Carey,Fairley,Rock,Simpson | Goals | Lockett 6,Luff 2,O'Loughlin 2,Cresswell,Kickett,Mooney | |||
| Archer,Rock,McKernan,Stevens,Carey,Sholl,Schwass | Best | Roos,Heuskes,Lewis,Cresswell,Luff,Kelly | |||
| Nil | Injuries | Nil | |||
| Nil | Reports | Nil | |||
