1996 AFL draft


The 1996 AFL draft was held at the conclusion of the 1996 Australian Football League 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

PickPlayerRecruited fromClub
1Michael GardinerClaremont
2Chris HeffernanGeelong
3Rory HiltonMurray
4Mark KinnearCalder
5Daniel McAlisterTasmania
6John RombotisFitzroy
7Bowen LockwoodGeelong
8Leigh BrockmanTasmania
9Mark HarwoodTasmania
10Nathan BrownBendigo
11Brent GrgicGeelong
12Heath BlackOakleigh Chargers
13Tom GilliganSouthern
14Brett O'FarrellPrahran Dragons
15Max HudghtonWest Brisbane
16Pat SteinfortOakleigh Chargers
17Rowan WarfeFitzroy
18Gerrard BennettTasmania
19Brent TuckeyBallarat
20Matthew DentFitzroy
21Tim WilliamsEast Perth
22Alistair NicholsonClaremont
23Evan HewittSubiaco
24Josh WoodenNSW-ACT
25Andrew BomfordSydney
26Tim NottingBallarat
27Troy CookPerth
28Jason JohnsonCalder
29Nathan TurveySouth Fremantle
30Hayden LamaroMurray
31Jess SinclairEastern
32Jim PlunkettNorthern
33Will SangsterPrahran Dragons
34Shannon CorcoranBrisbane
35Mark ChaffeyCaulfield Grammar
36Jonathan HayEast Fremantle
37Adam KingsleyEssendon
38Sam SmartNorwood
39Nick StoneClaremont
40Forfeited due to violation of salary cap regulations-
41Matthew ManfieldFitzroy
42Martin PikeFitzroy
43Paul CorriganMelbourne
44Jacob RhodesGeelong
45Clayton GardinerClaremont
46Matthew ClucasEast Fremantle
47Brett MontgomeryFootscray
48Marty WarryFitzroy
49Jason HeatleyWest Coast
50Luke McCormickNSW-ACT
51Robert McMahonFitzroy
52Damien LockBendigo
53Michael BraunBendigo
54Mathew WatsonEssendon
55Steven McKeeMyrtelford
56Cameron MooneyNSW-ACT
57Trent CummingsFitzroy
58Paul DooleyWilliamstown
59Anthony McDonaldMelbourne
60Andrew EcclesNorthern
61Stephen PowellMelbourne
62Andrew ThompsonSt Kilda
63Jason BaldwinFitzroy
64Darren CollinsPort Adelaide
65Brad CassidyFitzroy
66Paul HillsEssendon
67Byron PickettPort Adelaide
68Russell RobertsonTasmania
69Chad RintoulEast Fremantle
70Adam HayEast Perth
71Brett KnowlesGippsland
72Brent FrewenFitzroy
73Brett HowmanNSW-ACT
74Chris JacksonNSW-ACT
75Mark WintertonSouthern
76Greg DempseyWest Adelaide
77Marcus BarhamCalder
78Lucas FlemingNorthern
79Daniel DonatiOld Xavs
80Chris HolcombeSouthern
81Anthony FranchinaCarlton
82Duncan O'TooleDevonport
83Ashley GehlingMelbourne
84Josh MahoneyWilliamstown
85Brad ScottHawthorn
86Ben ParkerMurray
87Brad FullerNSW-ACT
88Phil SmithWest Perth
89Dwayne GriffinSwan Districts
90Leigh SinglineSth Launceston

1997 pre-season draft

PickPlayerRecruited fromClub
1Stephen PaxmanFitzroyPort Adelaide
2Paul HudsonHawthornWestern Bulldogs
3Leigh NewtonAlburyMelbourne
4Jason TaylorHawthornCollingwood
5Brett CookFitzroySt Kilda
6Brett EvansSpringvaleRichmond
7Jon HassallCollingwoodHawthorn
8Darren HulmeSouthern StingraysCarlton
9Matthew BanksEastern RangesEssendon
10John StevensOld Ivanhoe GrammariansSydney
11Brett ChandlerFitzroyNorth Melbourne
12Steven PittCollingwoodWestern Bulldogs
13Robert PymanCollingwoodMelbourne
14Robert SchaeferCentral DistrictCollingwood
15Brad CampbellPort MelbourneSt Kilda
16Todd RidleyFremantleHawthorn
17Anthony MellingtonFitzroyNorth Melbourne
18Shane WoewodinEast FremantleMelbourne
19Michael R. GardinerSubiacoCollingwood
20Nigel CredinFitzroyHawthorn

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.
PickPlayerRecruited fromAFL club
1Jason DylanPort Adelaide
2Adam Contessa reservesWestern Bulldogs
3Nathan BassettMelbourne
4Cameron VenablesFremantle
5Ben MarshAdelaide
6Mal Michael reservesCollingwood
7Justin PlappBurnieRichmond
8Brad L. CampbellKyabramHawthorn
9Michael Brown reservesGeelong
10Mark PorterCarlton
11Paul BlairWest Coast
12Mark JohnsonCalder U18Essendon
13PassBrisbane
14Nathan TresizeMurray U18Sydney
15Julian Kirzner reservesNorth Melbourne
16Luke OttensPort Adelaide
17Jason Lappin reservesWestern Bulldogs
18Daniel Ward reservesMelbourne
19Matthew RichterFremantle
20Steven CoghillAdelaide
21Andrew PugsleyEastern U18Collingwood
22Jason RamseyRichmond
23PassHawthorn
24Shawn LewfattGeelong
25PassCarlton
26Ryan WebbWest Coast
27Gary Moorcroft reservesEssendon
28PassBrisbane
29PassSydney
30Bryan BeinkeNorth Melbourne
31PassPort Adelaide
32PassWestern Bulldogs
33Matthew BishopMelbourne
34Rupert BetherasFremantle
35PassAdelaide
36Michael PolleyCollingwood
37PassRichmond
38PassHawthorn
39PassGeelong
40PassCarlton
41Trent SimpsonWest Coast
42Andrew RamsdenOld TrinityEssendon
43PassBrisbane
44PassSydney
45PassNorth Melbourne
46PassPort Adelaide
47PassWestern Bulldogs
48Russell RobertsonMelbourne
49Scott GoochFremantle
50PassAdelaide
51Brett Warburton reservesCollingwood
52PassRichmond
53PassHawthorn
54PassGeelong
55PassCarlton
56Todd NenerWest Coast
57Luke TrewEssendon
58PassBrisbane
59Steven MaharBelconnenSydney
60PassNorth Melbourne
61PassPort Adelaide
62PassWestern Bulldogs
63Duncan O'TooleMelbourne
64Gavin MilentisFremantle
65PassAdelaide
66Peter O'BrienOld MelburniansCollingwood
67PassRichmond
68PassHawthorn
69PassGeelong
70PassCarlton
71PassWest Coast
72Andrew HendersonUniversity BluesEssendon
73PassBrisbane
74Leigh MarshallSydney
75PassNorth Melbourne
76PassPort Adelaide
77PassWestern Bulldogs
78James McDonaldOld XaveriansMelbourne
79PassFremantle
80PassAdelaide
81Mark OxleyCastlemaineCollingwood
82PassRichmond
83PassHawthorn
84PassGeelong
85PassCarlton
86PassWest Coast
87Damien FrankenDonvaleEssendon
88PassBrisbane
89Adam RyderBelconnenSydney
90PassNorth 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

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.