1996 AFL Lightning Premiership

The 1996 AFL Lightning Premiership was an Australian rules football knock-out competition, played in its entirety before the Australian Football League's main pre-season competition began. The Lightning Premiership was held for the only time in the modern era in 1996 - the Centenary Season of the AFL. It was a knock-out competition played from Friday, 9 February until Sunday, 11 February, with four games each evening at Waverley Park, each consisting of two 17.5-minute halves. The game trialled a number of highly experimental rules, including three points awarded both for deliberate rushed behinds and balls which hit the goalposts, and timekeepers not blowing the siren if scores were tied. However, the rule which altered play most significantly was the ball not being thrown in from the boundary line after travelling out of bounds, a free kick being awarded instead against the last team to touch the ball. Essendon won the title defeating Brisbane by 17 points in the Grand Final.

1996 AFL Lightning Premiership
Season	1996
Teams	16
Winners	Essendon (2nd title)
Runner up	Brisbane Bears
Matches played	15
Attendance	24,276 (average 1,618 per match)

Rules

• Each game consisted of two 17-minute halves, with a five-minute half-time break
• In the case of a tie after normal time, the siren would not sound until another score had been registered
• Four boundary and four goal umpires were used
• Three points were awarded if the ball hit the post, signalled by a different coloured flag
• Three points were awarded for a deliberately rushed behind
• The last player to touch the ball before it went over the boundary line was penalised and a free kick awarded to the opposing team. When it could not be determined who touched the ball last, it was thrown back in
• The defender kicking in after a score did not have to wait until the goal umpire finished waving his flags
• No umpire would bounce the ball, instead it was thrown up on all occasions
• Six-man interchange bench

Matches

Summary of results

	Round One					Quarter-finals					Semi-finals					Grand Final
	North Melbourne		23
	Melbourne		22				North Melbourne	36
	Fitzroy		17				Collingwood	43
	Collingwood		40									Collingwood	26
	St Kilda		50									Brisbane Bears	55
	Hawthorn		20				St Kilda	21
	Brisbane Bears		40				Brisbane Bears	43
	Carlton		26														Brisbane Bears	21
	West Coast		32														Essendon	38
	Richmond		37				Richmond	31
	Adelaide		42				Fremantle	61
	Fremantle		55									Fremantle	38
	Geelong		43									Essendon	47
	Essendon		67				Essendon	55
	Sydney		42				Sydney	28
	Western Bulldogs		40

See also

• List of VFL/AFL pre-season and night series premiers
• 1996 Ansett Australia Cup
• 1996 AFL season

References

• Lovett, Michael, ed. (1997). AFL '97: The Official Guide To Australia's Greatest Game. Australian Football League. p. 307. ISBN 1-86330-629-3.