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
AFL debuts
| Name | Club | Age at debut | Debut round | Games | Goals | Notes | 
| 1996 | Career | 1996 | Career | 
| Kane Johnson | Adelaide | 18 years, 115 days | 14[1] | 2 | 220 | 3 | 76 |  | 
| Peter Vardy | Adelaide | 20 years, 163 days | 14[2] | 7 | 137 | 5 | 206 |  | 
| Matthew Collins | Adelaide | 19 years, 129 days | 10[3] | 8 | 43 | 2 | 7 |  | 
| Ronnie Burns | Geelong | 23 years, 16 days | 1[4] | 21 | 154 | 31 | 262 |  | 
| Jason Snell | Geelong | 18 years, 246 days | 1[5] | 3 | 68 | 3 | 62 |  | 
| David Cockatoo-Collins | Melbourne | 17 years, 363 days | 1[6] | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Twin brother of Don | 
| Don Cockatoo-Collins | Melbourne | 17 years, 363 days | 1[7] | 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | Twin brother of David | 
| Brad Cassidy | Fitzroy | 19 years, 249 days | 1[8] | 14 | 16 | 10 | 10 |  | 
| Peter Berbakov | Essendon | 22 years, 221 days | 1[9] | 17 | 52 | 4 | 14 |  | 
| Scott Bamford | Fitzroy | 21 years, 281 days | 1[10] | 22 | 59 | 6 | 33 |  | 
| Matthew Primus | Fitzroy | 21 years, 79 days | 1[11] | 20 | 157 | 5 | 81 | Round 1 1996 Rising Star nomination | 
| Daniel Chick | Hawthorn | 20 years, 50 days | 1[12] | 22 | 252 | 14 | 210 | Round 10 1996 Rising Star nomination | 
| Craig Treleven | Hawthorn | 25 years, 290 days | 1[13] | 21 | 78 | 7 | 22 |  | 
| Joe McLaren | St Kilda | 18 years, 110 days | 1[14] | 11 | 69 | 2 | 39 |  | 
| Jason Traianidis | St Kilda | 21 years, 144 days | 1[15] | 13 | 62 | 9 | 36 |  | 
| Andrew McLean | St Kilda | 22 years, 256 days | 1[16] | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 |  | 
| Danny Dickfos | Brisbane Bears | 25 years, 182 days | 1[17] | 22 | 65 | 1 | 0 |  | 
| Troy Johnson | Brisbane Bears | 18 years, 248 days | 1[18] | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |  | 
| Scott Taylor | Footscray | 19 years, 160 days | 1[19] | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |  | 
| Andrew Donnelly | West Coast | 23 years, 2 days | 1[20] | 20 | 68 | 28 | 69 |  | 
| Chad Morrison | West Coast | 18 years, 2 days | 1[21] | 18 | 169 | 24 | 88 | Round 16 1996 Rising Star nomination | 
| Steven Pitt | Collingwood | 22 years, 253 days | 1[22] | 13 | 18 | 14 | 16 |  | 
| Gavin Mitchell | Fremantle | 23 years, 94 days | 1[23] | 21 | 88 | 11 | 82 |  | 
| Greg Harding | Fremantle | 19 years, 196 days | 1[24] | 18 | 78 | 1 | 3 | Round 4 1996 Rising Star nomination | 
| Brendon Fewster | West Coast | 22 years, 88 days | 1[25] | 3 | 70 | 2 | 43 |  | 
| Mark West | Footscray | 23 years, 3 days | 2[26] | 4 | 16 | 2 | 3 |  | 
| Tristan Lynch | Brisbane Bears | 22 years, 228 days | 2[27] | 21 | 72 | 1 | 15 |  | 
| Kane Fraser | Hawthorn | 18 years, 266 days | 3[28] | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 |  | 
| Ben Holland | Richmond | 18 years, 339 days | 3[29] | 11 | 191 | 3 | 179 | Brother of Nick Holland | 
| Matthew Nicks | Sydney | 20 years, 337 days | 3[30] | 6 | 175 | 2 | 125 |  | 
| Jason Cripps | St Kilda | 19 years, 183 days | 3[31] | 11 | 60 | 3 | 10 |  | 
| Clive Waterhouse | Fremantle | 21 years, 296 days | 3[32] | 11 | 106 | 9 | 178 |  | 
| Darren O'Brien | Melbourne | 27 years, 31 days | 4[33] | 13 | 24 | 7 | 9 |  | 
| Michael Brown | Fremantle | 19 years, 213 days | 4[34] | 10 | 22 | 6 | 15 |  | 
| Ben Cousins | West Coast | 17 years, 296 days | 4[35] | 20 | 270 | 34 | 217 | Round 12 1996 Rising Star nomination & overall winner, son of Bryan Cousins | 
| Phillip Matera | West Coast | 20 years, 146 days | 4[36] | 5 | 179 | 8 | 389 | Brother of Wally & Peter Matera | 
| Scott Lucas | Essendon | 18 years, 117 days | 5[37] | 14 | 270 | 11 | 471 |  | 
| Steven Koops | Fremantle | 17 years, 277 days | 5[38] | 6 | 89 | 6 | 49 |  | 
| David Wirrpanda | West Coast | 16 years, 268 days | 5[39] | 5 | 227 | 4 | 131 |  | 
| Steven King | Geelong | 17 years, 157 days | 5[40] | 13 | 240 | 3 | 83 | Round 15 1996 Rising Star nomination | 
| Stefan Carey | Sydney | 20 years, 100 days | 6[41] | 4 | 48 | 1 | 23 |  | 
| Clint Bizzell | Geelong | 19 years, 310 days | 6[42] | 4 | 163 | 1 | 79 |  | 
| Sam McFarlane | North Melbourne | 20 years, 150 days | 6[43] | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |  | 
| Shane Clayton | Fitzroy | 17 years, 193 days | 6[44] | 13 | 117 | 1 | 52 |  | 
| Brent Frewen | Fitzroy | 18 years, 197 days | 6[45] | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |  | 
| Nick Carter | Fitzroy | 18 years, 8 days | 6[46] | 17 | 25 | 4 | 6 | Round 8 1996 Rising Star nomination | 
| Ross Funcke | Richmond | 18 years, 170 days | 6[47] | 4 | 40 | 2 | 5 |  | 
| Jade Rawlings | Hawthorn | 18 years, 208 days | 6[48] | 2 | 148 | 1 | 96 | Brother of Brady Rawlings | 
| Clark Keating | Brisbane Bears | 20 years, 48 days | 6[49] | 14 | 139 | 9 | 83 | Brother of Aaron Keating | 
| Todd McHardy | Melbourne | 19 years, 37 days | 7[50] | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 |  | 
| Luke Toia | Fremantle | 18 years, 171 days | 7[51] | 13 | 63 | 11 | 33 | Round 20 1996 Rising Star nomination | 
| Michael Polley | Melbourne | 19 years, 254 days | 9[52] | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 |  | 
| Barry Hall | St Kilda | 19 years, 109 days | 9[53] | 4 | 289 | 2 | 746 |  | 
| Damien Ryan | Richmond | 18 years, 297 days | 9[54] | 11 | 60 | 1 | 9 |  | 
| Justin Blumfield | Essendon | 18 years, 197 days | 10[55] | 10 | 148 | 3 | 91 |  | 
| Ben Moore | Richmond | 18 years, 347 days | 11[56] | 4 | 24 | 2 | 11 |  | 
| Ben Wilson | Collingwood | 19 years, 113 days | 11[57] | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 |  | 
| Simon Prestigiacomo | Collingwood | 18 years, 138 days | 11[58] | 12 | 233 | 6 | 3 |  | 
| James Clement | Fremantle | 19 years, 286 days | 11[59] | 12 | 230 | 1 | 51 |  | 
| Ben Robbins | Brisbane Bears | 19 years, 178 days | 12[60] | 5 | 92 | 1 | 21 |  | 
| Clinton King | Sydney | 18 years, 93 days | 12[61] | 5 | 89 | 3 | 23 |  | 
| Scott Welsh | North Melbourne | 17 years, 199 days | 12[62] | 1 | 205 | 0 | 363 |  | 
| Daniel Healy | St Kilda | 22 years, 53 days | 12[63] | 1 | 38 | 0 | 24 |  | 
| Jason Ramsey | Fitzroy | 21 years, 158 days | 13[64] | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 |  | 
| Eric Lissenden | North Melbourne | 24 years, 187 days | 14[65] | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |  | 
| Daniel Parker | Fremantle | 22 years, 45 days | 14[66] | 1 | 25 | 1 | 18 | Brother of Shane Parker | 
| Aaron Hamill | Carlton | 18 years, 328 days | 15[67] | 4 | 190 | 1 | 239 |  | 
| Jason Bevan | Collingwood | 18 years, 88 days | 15[68] | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 |  | 
| Robert Powell | Richmond | 20 years, 118 days | 15[69] | 8 | 66 | 15 | 60 |  | 
| Andrew Leoncelli | Melbourne | 22 years, 3 days | 16[70] | 7 | 146 | 3 | 66 |  | 
| Glenn Gorman | North Melbourne | 20 years, 183 days | 17[71] | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |  | 
| Matthew Robbins | Geelong | 19 years, 82 days | 17[72] | 1 | 146 | 0 | 135 |  | 
| Joel Bowden | Richmond | 18 years, 38 days | 17[73] | 5 | 265 | 4 | 174 | Son of Michael Bowden, brother of Patrick Bowden | 
| Ashley Fernee | Adelaide | 19 years, 36 days | 17[74] | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |  | 
| Angelo Lekkas | Hawthorn | 20 years, 35 days | 18[75] | 3 | 180 | 3 | 120 |  | 
| Daniel Bradshaw | Brisbane Bears | 17 years, 257 days | 18[76] | 3 | 231 | 3 | 524 | Brother of Darren Bradshaw | 
| Robert McMahon | Fitzroy | 19 years, 9 days | 18[77] | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |  | 
| Shane Sikora | West Coast | 19 years, 148 days | 18[78] | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |  | 
| Danny Stevens | North Melbourne | 19 years, 287 days | 21[79] | 1 | 15 | 1 | 7 |  | 
| Carl Steinfort | Geelong | 19 years, 154 days | 22[80] | 2 | 92 | 2 | 26 |  | 
| Brent Harvey | North Melbourne | 18 years, 112 days | 22[81] | 1 | 432 | 0 | 518 | Record holder, most matches played by an individual in VFL/AFL history. Brother of Shane Harvey | 
Change of AFL club
| Name | New Club | Age at debut | Debut round | Games | Goals | Previous club | 
| 1996 | Career | 1996 | Career | 
| Anthony Ingerson | Melbourne | 26 years, 168 days | 1[82] | 18 | 158 | 10 | 40 | Adelaide | 
| Martin McKinnon | Geelong | 20 years, 268 days | 1[83] | 19 | 86 | 8 | 50 | Adelaide | 
| David Grant | Melbourne | 29 years, 235 days | 1[84] | 7 | 198 | 1 | 75 | St Kilda | 
| Craig Turley | Melbourne | 30 years, 218 days | 1[85] | 16 | 131 | 8 | 99 | West Coast | 
| Alastair Clarkson | Melbourne | 27 years, 337 days | 1[86] | 22 | 134 | 13 | 85 | North Melbourne | 
| Mick Dwyer | Fitzroy | 27 years, 135 days | 1[87] | 8 | 88 | 3 | 64 | St Kilda | 
| Peter Bell | North Melbourne | 20 years, 29 days | 1[88] | 23 | 286 | 23 | 250 | Fremantle,  Round 17 1996 Rising Star nomination | 
| Darren Kappler | Hawthorn | 31 years, 68 days | 1[89] | 19 | 187 | 14 | 152 | Fitzroy & Sydney | 
| Robert Neill | St Kilda | 22 years, 86 days | 1[90] | 20 | 44 | 7 | 16 | Sydney | 
| Brad Wira | Footscray | 24 years, 14 days | 1[91] | 21 | 96 | 1 | 18 | Fremantle | 
| Todd Curley | Footscray | 23 years, 77 days | 1[92] | 18 | 118 | 22 | 48 | Collingwood | 
| Adrian Hickmott | Carlton | 24 years, 1 days | 1[93] | 22 | 184 | 13 | 131 | Geelong | 
| Justin Murphy | Carlton | 19 years, 342 days | 1[94] | 16 | 185 | 19 | 151 | Richmond | 
| Brad Rowe | Fremantle | 26 years, 129 days | 1[95] | 8 | 73 | 7 | 80 | Brisbane Bears & Collingwood | 
| Alex McDonald | Collingwood | 26 years, 48 days | 1[96] | 22 | 107 | 9 | 44 | Hawthorn | 
| Scott Crow | Collingwood | 22 years, 104 days | 1[97] | 22 | 75 | 7 | 37 | Hawthorn | 
| David Hynes | Fremantle | 29 years, 0 days | 1[98] | 12 | 86 | 4 | 59 | West Coast | 
| Tony Godden | Fremantle | 23 years, 347 days | 1[99] | 7 | 24 | 5 | 14 | West Coast | 
| Andy Lovell | West Coast | 25 years, 247 days | 1[100] | 23 | 164 | 13 | 166 | Melbourne | 
| Shane Ellen | Adelaide | 23 years, 91 days | 1[101] | 17 | 65 | 2 | 16 | Footscray | 
| Darren Jarman | Adelaide | 29 years, 64 days | 1[102] | 19 | 230 | 46 | 386 | Hawthorn | 
| Troy Bond | Adelaide | 22 years, 261 days | 1[103] | 20 | 94 | 14 | 77 | Carlton | 
| Peter Caven | Adelaide | 25 years, 320 days | 1[104] | 20 | 139 | 17 | 55 | Fitzroy & Sydney | 
| Kym Koster | Adelaide | 23 years, 60 days | 1[105] | 9 | 133 | 4 | 44 | Footscray | 
| Kevin Dyson | Sydney | 28 years, 332 days | 1[106] | 22 | 105 | 1 | 28 | Melbourne | 
| Stuart Maxfield | Sydney | 23 years, 357 days | 1[107] | 24 | 289 | 14 | 152 | Richmond | 
| Craig O'Brien | Sydney | 26 years, 28 days | 1[108] | 18 | 114 | 34 | 191 | Essendon & St Kilda | 
| James Cook | Footscray | 22 years, 91 days | 2[109] | 5 | 77 | 5 | 139 | Carlton | 
| Luke Beveridge | St Kilda | 25 years, 227 days | 2[110] | 16 | 118 | 16 | 107 | Melbourne & Footscray | 
| Leon Higgins | Hawthorn | 27 years, 284 days | 2[111] | 1 | 122 | 2 | 80 | Sydney | 
| Darren Gaspar | Richmond | 19 years, 322 days | 2[112] | 20 | 228 | 1 | 23 | Sydney | 
| Craig Nettelbeck | Melbourne | 23 years, 318 days | 2[113] | 20 | 78 | 10 | 42 | Sydney | 
| Brendan Krummel | Hawthorn | 23 years, 294 days | 3[114] | 11 | 74 | 2 | 50 | West Coast & Fremantle | 
| Ben Sexton | Carlton | 23 years, 168 days | 3[115] | 4 | 43 | 1 | 33 | Footscray | 
| Craig Devonport | Carlton | 26 years, 85 days | 4[116] | 1 | 95 | 1 | 82 | St Kilda | 
| Matthew Francis | Collingwood | 25 years, 235 days | 4[117] | 10 | 55 | 2 | 23 | Richmond | 
| Paul Salmon | Hawthorn | 31 years, 92 days | 4[118] | 18 | 324 | 4 | 561 | Essendon | 
| Allen Jakovich | Footscray | 28 years, 31 days | 4[119] | 7 | 54 | 7 | 208 | Melbourne | 
| Matthew Young | St Kilda | 23 years, 216 days | 4[120] | 19 | 118 | 5 | 20 | Hawthorn | 
| Anthony Darcy | St Kilda | 24 years, 30 days | 4[121] | 3 | 18 | 3 | 2 | Geelong & Footscray | 
| Sean Wellman | Essendon | 21 years, 213 days | 4[122] | 9 | 212 | 1 | 34 | Adelaide | 
| Ben Harrison | Richmond | 21 years, 96 days | 4[123] | 8 | 161 | 2 | 71 | Carlton | 
| Glenn Kilpatrick | Geelong | 23 years, 242 days | 5[124] | 11 | 146 | 12 | 35 | Essendon | 
| Bradley Plain | North Melbourne | 26 years, 215 days | 5[125] | 1 | 56 | 1 | 96 | Essendon & Collingwood | 
| Robert Pyman | Collingwood | 24 years, 211 days | 6[126] | 5 | 40 | 1 | 17 | North Melbourne | 
| Paul Barnard | Essendon | 23 years, 97 days | 8[127] | 15 | 151 | 3 | 79 | Hawthorn | 
| Jamie Elliott | St Kilda | 23 years, 124 days | 10[128] | 9 | 58 | 1 | 69 | Fitzroy & Essendon | 
| Peter Turner | Carlton | 22 years, 187 days | 17[129] | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | Adelaide | 
References
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| VFL debuts | 
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| AFL debuts |  | 
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