1996–97 National Soccer League
| NSL 1996-97 | |
|---|---|
| League | National Soccer League |
| Sport | Association football |
| Duration | 1996–97 |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| NSL season | |
| Champions | Brisbane Strikers |
| Minor premiers | Sydney United |
| Top scorer | David Zdrilic (21) |
The 1996–97 National Soccer League season, was the 21st season of the National Soccer League in Australia.
Teams
[edit]
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
[edit]It was contested by 14 teams, and Brisbane Strikers won the championship. Perth Glory and Collingwood Warriors entered the competition.
Regular season
[edit]League table
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]| Brisbane Strikers | 2 – 0 | Sydney United |
|---|---|---|
Farina  47' Brown 69' |
(report) |
Individual awards
[edit]- 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)