1996 AFL Grand Final

1996 AFL Grand Final
North Melbourne Sydney 19.17 (131) 13.10 (88)
1 2 3 4 NM 3.2 (20) 8.7 (55) 12.14 (86) 19.17 (131) SYD 6.2 (38) 8.5 (53) 9.7 (61) 13.10 (88)
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)
Jock McHale Medallist	Denis Pagan
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)
←  1995 AFL Grand Final 1997  →

The 1996 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the North Melbourne Football Club and the Sydney Swans, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 1996. It was the 100th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football League), staged to determine the premiers for the 1996 AFL season. The match, attended by 93,102 people, was won by North Melbourne by a margin of 43 points, marking that club's third premiership victory. North Melbourne were awarded a gold premiership cup instead of the usual silver in honour of the centenary grand final.

Background

Main article: 1996 AFL season

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 the 1945 VFL Grand Final, while it was North Melbourne's first since losing the 1978 VFL Grand Final.

At the conclusion of the home-and-away season, Sydney had finished first on the AFL ladder with 16 wins and 5 losses and one draw, winning the McClelland 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 defender Andrew Dunkley, who was to be the Swans' match-up for star Kangaroos forward Wayne Carey. On the Wednesday before the grand final, Dunkley was reported on video evidence – which was still relatively uncommon practice at the time – for striking Essendon's James 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]

Match summary

Team	1	2	3	Final
North Melbourne	3.2 (20)	8.7 (55)	12.14 (86)	19.17 (131)
Sydney	6.2 (38)	8.5 (53)	9.7 (61)	13.10 (88)

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 defender Glenn Archer and superstars Corey McKernan and Wayne Carey, the Kangaroos were hellbent in their premiership quest.

The Swans, although overwhelmed at the finish, started well and kicked the last three goals of the first quarter to lead by 18 points at quarter time. When Jason 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 and Darren Crocker and Brett Allison each kicking one, and by half time the Kangaroos led by 2 points.

North Melbourne dominated the third quarter, with two goals to Craig Sholl and one each to Peter 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 through Anthony Stevens and Mark 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 ]}

The Norm Smith Medal was awarded to Archer for being judged the best player afield.

Teams

North Melbourne

Sydney

North Melbourne B: 8 Robert Scott 4 Mick Martyn 11 Glenn Archer HB: 2 Wayne Schwass 6 Ian Fairley 12 John Blakey C: 34 David King 37 Adam Simpson 7 Dean Laidley HF: 17 Glenn Freeborn 18 Wayne Carey (c) 33 Brett Allison F: 24 Craig Sholl 31 Corey McKernan 27 Darren Crocker Foll: 16 Matthew Capuano 3 Anthony Rock 10 Anthony Stevens Int: 5 Stuart Anderson 22 Mark Roberts 26 Peter Bell Coach: Denis Pagan

Sydney B: 7 Brad Seymour 6 Andrew Dunkley 30 Mark Bayes HB: 39 Adam Heuskes 1 Paul Roos 19 Michael O'Loughlin C: 27 Wade Chapman 8 Daryn Cresswell 9 Shannon Grant HF: 34 Troy Luff 17 Jason Mooney 3 Dale Lewis F: 5 Craig O'Brien 4 Tony Lockett 11 Stuart Maxfield Foll: 15 Greg Stafford 12 Kevin Dyson 14 Paul Kelly (c) Int: 24 Derek Kickett 32 Daniel McPherson 29 Simon Garlick Coach: Rodney Eade

Goalkickers

North Melbourne Crocker 3 Freeborn 3 Allison 2 Roberts 2 Sholl 2 Stevens 2 Bell 1 Carey 1 Fairley 1 Rock 1 Simpson 1

Sydney Lockett 6 Luff 2 O'Loughlin 2 Cresswell 1 Kickett 1 Mooney 1

References

1. Russell Coulson; Ron Reed (27 September 1996). "First round goes to Sydney". Herald Sun. Melbourne, VIC. p. 5.
2. Al Paton (8 May 2014). "SuperFooty takes a look at the biggest cases to hit the tribunal as Jack Viney prepares for his appeal". Herald Sun. Retrieved 30 December 2015.

External links

• Match details at AFL Tables

See also

• 1996 AFL season