List of AFL debuts in 1996

During the 1996 Australian Football League (AFL) season 81 Australian rules footballers made their AFL debut with 48 others playing their first game for a new club.

Summary

Summary of debuts in 1996
ClubAFL debutsChange of club
Adelaide45
Brisbane Bears60
Carlton15
Collingwood44
Essendon32
Fitzroy81
Footscray24
Fremantle83
Geelong62
Hawthorn54
Melbourne65
North Melbourne62
Richmond62
St Kilda65
Sydney33
West Coast71
Total8148

AFL debuts

NameClubAge at debutDebut roundGamesGoalsNotes
1996Career1996Career
Kane JohnsonAdelaide18 years, 115 days14[1]2220376
Peter VardyAdelaide20 years, 163 days14[2]71375206
Matthew CollinsAdelaide19 years, 129 days10[3]84327
Ronnie BurnsGeelong23 years, 16 days1[4]2115431262
Jason SnellGeelong18 years, 246 days1[5]368362
David Cockatoo-CollinsMelbourne17 years, 363 days1[6]1200Twin brother of Don
Don Cockatoo-CollinsMelbourne17 years, 363 days1[7]2943Twin brother of David
Brad CassidyFitzroy19 years, 249 days1[8]14161010
Peter BerbakovEssendon22 years, 221 days1[9]1752414
Scott BamfordFitzroy21 years, 281 days1[10]2259633
Matthew PrimusFitzroy21 years, 79 days1[11]20157581Round 1 1996 Rising Star nomination
Daniel ChickHawthorn20 years, 50 days1[12]2225214210Round 10 1996 Rising Star nomination
Craig TrelevenHawthorn25 years, 290 days1[13]2178722
Joe McLarenSt Kilda18 years, 110 days1[14]1169239
Jason TraianidisSt Kilda21 years, 144 days1[15]1362936
Andrew McLeanSt Kilda22 years, 256 days1[16]6611
Danny DickfosBrisbane Bears25 years, 182 days1[17]226510
Troy JohnsonBrisbane Bears18 years, 248 days1[18]2200
Scott TaylorFootscray19 years, 160 days1[19]1100
Andrew DonnellyWest Coast23 years, 2 days1[20]20682869
Chad MorrisonWest Coast18 years, 2 days1[21]181692488Round 16 1996 Rising Star nomination
Steven PittCollingwood22 years, 253 days1[22]13181416
Gavin MitchellFremantle23 years, 94 days1[23]21881182
Greg HardingFremantle19 years, 196 days1[24]187813Round 4 1996 Rising Star nomination
Brendon FewsterWest Coast22 years, 88 days1[25]370243
Mark WestFootscray23 years, 3 days2[26]41623
Tristan LynchBrisbane Bears22 years, 228 days2[27]2172115
Kane FraserHawthorn18 years, 266 days3[28]2520
Ben HollandRichmond18 years, 339 days3[29]111913179Brother of Nick Holland
Matthew NicksSydney20 years, 337 days3[30]61752125
Jason CrippsSt Kilda19 years, 183 days3[31]1160310
Clive WaterhouseFremantle21 years, 296 days3[32]111069178
Darren O'BrienMelbourne27 years, 31 days4[33]132479
Michael BrownFremantle19 years, 213 days4[34]1022615
Ben CousinsWest Coast17 years, 296 days4[35]2027034217Round 12 1996 Rising Star nomination & overall winner, son of Bryan Cousins
Phillip MateraWest Coast20 years, 146 days4[36]51798389Brother of Wally & Peter Matera
Scott LucasEssendon18 years, 117 days5[37]1427011471
Steven KoopsFremantle17 years, 277 days5[38]689649
David WirrpandaWest Coast16 years, 268 days5[39]52274131
Steven KingGeelong17 years, 157 days5[40]13240383Round 15 1996 Rising Star nomination
Stefan CareySydney20 years, 100 days6[41]448123
Clint BizzellGeelong19 years, 310 days6[42]4163179
Sam McFarlaneNorth Melbourne20 years, 150 days6[43]2220
Shane ClaytonFitzroy17 years, 193 days6[44]13117152
Brent FrewenFitzroy18 years, 197 days6[45]2210
Nick CarterFitzroy18 years, 8 days6[46]172546Round 8 1996 Rising Star nomination
Ross FunckeRichmond18 years, 170 days6[47]44025
Jade RawlingsHawthorn18 years, 208 days6[48]2148196Brother of Brady Rawlings
Clark KeatingBrisbane Bears20 years, 48 days6[49]14139983Brother of Aaron Keating
Todd McHardyMelbourne19 years, 37 days7[50]3511
Luke ToiaFremantle18 years, 171 days7[51]13631133Round 20 1996 Rising Star nomination
Michael PolleyMelbourne19 years, 254 days9[52]5520
Barry HallSt Kilda19 years, 109 days9[53]42892746
Damien RyanRichmond18 years, 297 days9[54]116019
Justin BlumfieldEssendon18 years, 197 days10[55]10148391
Ben MooreRichmond18 years, 347 days11[56]424211
Ben WilsonCollingwood19 years, 113 days11[57]2620
Simon PrestigiacomoCollingwood18 years, 138 days11[58]1223363
James ClementFremantle19 years, 286 days11[59]12230151
Ben RobbinsBrisbane Bears19 years, 178 days12[60]592121
Clinton KingSydney18 years, 93 days12[61]589323
Scott WelshNorth Melbourne17 years, 199 days12[62]12050363
Daniel HealySt Kilda22 years, 53 days12[63]138024
Jason RamseyFitzroy21 years, 158 days13[64]2270
Eric LissendenNorth Melbourne24 years, 187 days14[65]2211
Daniel ParkerFremantle22 years, 45 days14[66]125118Brother of Shane Parker
Aaron HamillCarlton18 years, 328 days15[67]41901239
Jason BevanCollingwood18 years, 88 days15[68]2230
Robert PowellRichmond20 years, 118 days15[69]8661560
Andrew LeoncelliMelbourne22 years, 3 days16[70]7146366
Glenn GormanNorth Melbourne20 years, 183 days17[71]2210
Matthew RobbinsGeelong19 years, 82 days17[72]11460135
Joel BowdenRichmond18 years, 38 days17[73]52654174Son of Michael Bowden, brother of Patrick Bowden
Ashley FerneeAdelaide19 years, 36 days17[74]2220
Angelo LekkasHawthorn20 years, 35 days18[75]31803120
Daniel BradshawBrisbane Bears17 years, 257 days18[76]32313524Brother of Darren Bradshaw
Robert McMahonFitzroy19 years, 9 days18[77]2221
Shane SikoraWest Coast19 years, 148 days18[78]2320
Danny StevensNorth Melbourne19 years, 287 days21[79]11517
Carl SteinfortGeelong19 years, 154 days22[80]292226
Brent HarveyNorth Melbourne18 years, 112 days22[81]14320518Record holder, most matches played by an individual in VFL/AFL history. Brother of Shane Harvey

Change of AFL club

NameNew ClubAge at debutDebut roundGamesGoalsPrevious club
1996Career1996Career
Anthony IngersonMelbourne26 years, 168 days1[82]181581040Adelaide
Martin McKinnonGeelong20 years, 268 days1[83]1986850Adelaide
David GrantMelbourne29 years, 235 days1[84]7198175St Kilda
Craig TurleyMelbourne30 years, 218 days1[85]16131899West Coast
Alastair ClarksonMelbourne27 years, 337 days1[86]221341385North Melbourne
Mick DwyerFitzroy27 years, 135 days1[87]888364St Kilda
Peter BellNorth Melbourne20 years, 29 days1[88]2328623250Fremantle, Round 17 1996 Rising Star nomination
Darren KapplerHawthorn31 years, 68 days1[89]1918714152Fitzroy & Sydney
Robert NeillSt Kilda22 years, 86 days1[90]2044716Sydney
Brad WiraFootscray24 years, 14 days1[91]2196118Fremantle
Todd CurleyFootscray23 years, 77 days1[92]181182248Collingwood
Adrian HickmottCarlton24 years, 1 days1[93]2218413131Geelong
Justin MurphyCarlton19 years, 342 days1[94]1618519151Richmond
Brad RoweFremantle26 years, 129 days1[95]873780Brisbane Bears & Collingwood
Alex McDonaldCollingwood26 years, 48 days1[96]22107944Hawthorn
Scott CrowCollingwood22 years, 104 days1[97]2275737Hawthorn
David HynesFremantle29 years, 0 days1[98]1286459West Coast
Tony GoddenFremantle23 years, 347 days1[99]724514West Coast
Andy LovellWest Coast25 years, 247 days1[100]2316413166Melbourne
Shane EllenAdelaide23 years, 91 days1[101]1765216Footscray
Darren JarmanAdelaide29 years, 64 days1[102]1923046386Hawthorn
Troy BondAdelaide22 years, 261 days1[103]20941477Carlton
Peter CavenAdelaide25 years, 320 days1[104]201391755Fitzroy & Sydney
Kym KosterAdelaide23 years, 60 days1[105]9133444Footscray
Kevin DysonSydney28 years, 332 days1[106]22105128Melbourne
Stuart MaxfieldSydney23 years, 357 days1[107]2428914152Richmond
Craig O'BrienSydney26 years, 28 days1[108]1811434191Essendon & St Kilda
James CookFootscray22 years, 91 days2[109]5775139Carlton
Luke BeveridgeSt Kilda25 years, 227 days2[110]1611816107Melbourne & Footscray
Leon HigginsHawthorn27 years, 284 days2[111]1122280Sydney
Darren GasparRichmond19 years, 322 days2[112]20228123Sydney
Craig NettelbeckMelbourne23 years, 318 days2[113]20781042Sydney
Brendan KrummelHawthorn23 years, 294 days3[114]1174250West Coast & Fremantle
Ben SextonCarlton23 years, 168 days3[115]443133Footscray
Craig DevonportCarlton26 years, 85 days4[116]195182St Kilda
Matthew FrancisCollingwood25 years, 235 days4[117]1055223Richmond
Paul SalmonHawthorn31 years, 92 days4[118]183244561Essendon
Allen JakovichFootscray28 years, 31 days4[119]7547208Melbourne
Matthew YoungSt Kilda23 years, 216 days4[120]19118520Hawthorn
Anthony DarcySt Kilda24 years, 30 days4[121]31832Geelong & Footscray
Sean WellmanEssendon21 years, 213 days4[122]9212134Adelaide
Ben HarrisonRichmond21 years, 96 days4[123]8161271Carlton
Glenn KilpatrickGeelong23 years, 242 days5[124]111461235Essendon
Bradley PlainNorth Melbourne26 years, 215 days5[125]156196Essendon & Collingwood
Robert PymanCollingwood24 years, 211 days6[126]540117North Melbourne
Paul BarnardEssendon23 years, 97 days8[127]15151379Hawthorn
Jamie ElliottSt Kilda23 years, 124 days10[128]958169Fitzroy & Essendon
Peter TurnerCarlton22 years, 187 days17[129]2501Adelaide

References