The 1996–97 National Soccer League season, was the 21st season of the National Soccer League in Australia.
Teams
Adelaide City
Brisbane Strikers
Canberra Cosmos
Gippsland Falcons
Newcastle Breakers
Perth Glory
West Adelaide
Wollongong City
Melbourne
Sydney
Melbourne teams:
Collingwood Warriors
Melbourne Knights
South Melbourne
Sydney teams:
Marconi-Fairfield
UTS Olympic
Sydney United
Collingwood Warriors
Melbourne Knights
South Melbourne
Sydney teams:
Marconi-Fairfield
UTS Olympic
Sydney United
Location of teams in 1996–97 National Soccer League
| Team | Home city | Home ground |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide City | Adelaide | Hindmarsh Stadium |
| Brisbane Strikers | Brisbane | Lang Park |
| Canberra Cosmos | Canberra | Bruce Stadium |
| Collingwood Warriors | Melbourne | Victoria Park Olympic Park |
| Gippsland Falcons | Morwell | Falcons Park |
| Marconi-Stallions | Sydney | Marconi Stadium |
| Melbourne Knights | Melbourne | Knights Stadium |
| Newcastle Breakers | Newcastle | Breakers Stadium |
| Perth Glory | Perth | Perth Oval |
| South Melbourne | Melbourne | Lakeside Stadium |
| Sydney United | Sydney | Edensor Park |
| UTS Olympic | Sydney | Belmore Oval |
| West Adelaide | Adelaide | Hindmarsh Stadium |
| Wollongong City | Wollongong | Brandon Park |
Season overview
It was contested by 14 teams, and Brisbane Strikers won the championship. Perth Glory and Collingwood Warriors entered the competition.
Regular season
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney United | 26 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 67 | 33 | +34 | 56 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 2 | Brisbane Strikers (C) | 26 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 55 | 40 | +15 | 47 | |
| 3 | South Melbourne | 26 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 39 | 25 | +14 | 46 | |
| 4 | Adelaide City | 26 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 32 | 22 | +10 | 43 | |
| 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 26 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 41 | 37 | +4 | 40 | |
| 6 | Melbourne Knights | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 36 | 32 | +4 | 39 | |
| 7 | Perth Glory | 26 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 48 | 41 | +7 | 38 | |
| 8 | West Adelaide | 26 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 33 | |
| 9 | UTS Olympic | 26 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 41 | 46 | −5 | 32 | |
| 10 | Wollongong Wolves | 26 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 32 | |
| 11 | Newcastle Breakers | 26 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 40 | 46 | −6 | 30 | |
| 12 | Gippsland Falcons | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 33 | 41 | −8 | 30 | |
| 13 | Collingwood Warriors | 26 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 32 | 44 | −12 | 27 | |
| 14 | Canberra Cosmos | 26 | 2 | 5 | 19 | 30 | 69 | −39 | 11 |
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Finals series
| Elimination finals | Semifinals | Preliminary final | Grand final | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Sydney United | 0 | 2 | (2) | Sydney United | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Brisbane Strikers (a) | 1 | 1 | (2) | Brisbane Strikers | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| Sydney United | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | South Melbourne | 4 | 3 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||
| South Melbourne | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Melbourne Knights | 1 | 0 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||
| South Melbourne | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Adelaide City | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Adelaide City | 0 | 4 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 3 | 0 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||
Grand Final
| Brisbane Strikers | 2 – 0 | Sydney United |
|---|---|---|
Farina  47' Brown 69' |
(report) |
Individual awards
- Player of the Year: Kresimir Marusic (Sydney United)
- U-21 Player of the Year: Kasey Wehrman (Brisbane Strikers)
- Top Scorer: David Zdrilic (Sydney United) – 21 goals
- Coach of the Year: Branko Culina (Sydney United)