1996 season

1996

Photo: aflphotos.com.au

Position

5th

H&A record

15-7 (4th)

Finals

Lost Semi Final

Captain

John Worsfold

Coach

Mick Malthouse

Best & Fairest

Drew Banfield

Most goals

Mitchell White (37)

<--1995

1997-->

After their premiership defence fizzled out in 1995, West Coast looked to reassert themselves as a premiership threat in 1996. That task started poorly with the side losing four of its first five games, before finding their rhythm with a 106-point demolition of the Demons which sparked an eleven-game winning streak. Overcoming the loss of several key personnel, including captain John Worsfold and champion defender Glen Jakovich to serious knee injuries, the Eagles qualified for the finals in fourth spot. After easily accounting for Carlton at home, controversy reigned when West Coast was forced to play a "home" semi-final against Essendon in Victoria despite the sixth-placed Bombers having lost their qualifying final - the AFL's contractual arrangements required a final to be played at the MCG every week, but West Coast and the Brisbane Bears had qualified to host the semi-finals. The Bombers smashed the Eagles in front of a fanatical pro-Victorian crowd to end the side's season.

Defensive midfielder Drew Banfield was a surprise winner of the Club Champion award, just pipping veteran wingman Chris Mainwaring and defender Guy McKenna in a close finish. Mainwaring was named on a wing in the All-Australian side, and was joined by Peter Matera (who had reinvented himself as a running half-back) and Mitchell White who also won the club's goalkicking for the first time. With veterans such as Worsfold, Jakovich, Brett Heady and Chris Lewis missing for lengthy periods, opportunities arose for youngsters and a handful stood out, notably Ben Cousins who won the league's Rising Star award playing as a small forward, Chad Morrison and Andrew Donnelly.

Honour board

Coach: Mick Malthouse

Captain: John Worsfold

Vice-captain: Guy McKenna

Club Champion: Drew Banfield

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Donnelly

Best Clubman: Tony Evans

Leading Goalscorer: Mitchell White (37)

All-Australians: Chris Mainwaring, Peter Matera, Mitchell White

Rising Star nominees: Jarrad Schofield (round 9), Ben Cousins (round 12), Chad Morrison (round 16)

Milestones:

150 games: Dean Kemp (round 19)

100 games: Ashley McIntosh (round 13)

Squad

Offseason player movements

	Senior list
26	Jason Ball	23	Brendon Fewster*	3	Chris Mainwaring	34	Shane Sikora	44	David Wirrpanda*
6	Drew Banfield	7	Fraser Gehrig	43	Neil Marshall*	37	Craig Smoker*	24	John Worsfold
32	Ashley Blurton	36	David Hart	30	Peter Matera	25	Brett Spinks
20	Shane Bond	1	Brett Heady	33	Phil Matera*	4	Peter Sumich
41	Jonson Clifton*	31	Jason Heatley	11	Ashley McIntosh	16	Paul Symmons
35	Ben Cousins*	27	Glen Jakovich	17	Guy McKenna	38	Luke Trew*
29	Andrew Donnelly*	2	Dean Kemp	8	Daniel Metropolis	50	Ryan Turnbull
22	Ian Downsborough	28	Chris Lewis	42	Chad Morrison	39	Chris Waterman
15	Michael Dunstan	5	Andy Lovell*	10	Don Pyke	12	Mitchell White
18	Tony Evans	9	Brayden Lyle	21	Jarrad Schofield	40	Paul Whitelaw*

(*new addition to playing squad)

Player reviews

#	Player	Games	Goals
1	Heady	7	4
2	Kemp	21	12
3	Mainwaring	22	12
4	Sumich	7	21
5	Lovell	23	13
6	Banfield	24	9
7	Gehrig	24	12
8	Metropolis	22	9
9	Lyle	11	1
10	Pyke	8	0
11	McIntosh	24	1
12	White	23	37
16	Symmons	12	1
17	McKenna	22	5
18	Evans	22	17
20	Bond	3	0
21	Schofield	22	22
22	Downsborough	19	5
23	Fewster	3	0
24	Worsfold	2	0
25	Spinks	3	3
26	Ball	13	25
27	Jakovich	12	1
28	Lewis	8	6
29	Donnelly	20	28
30	Pe.Matera	24	9
31	Heatley	2	6
32	Blurton	4	2
33	Ph.Matera	5	8
34	Sikora	2	0
35	Cousins	20	35
36	Hart	21	6
39	Waterman	12	7
42	Morrison	18	24
44	Wirrpanda	5	4
50	Turnbull	14	5

Results

Rd	Opponent	Venue	Res	Score	Posn
	Ansett Cup
	Fremantle	Marrara	W	71-57
QF	Footscray	Waverley	W	72-58
SF	St Kilda	Waverley	L	73-57
	Home & Away
1	Fremantle	Subiaco	W	67-45	4th
2	Brisbane	WACA	L	77-103	9th
3	Essendon	Waverley	L	50-109	10th
4	Geelong	Subiaco	L	88-106	14th
5	Carlton	Princes Park	L	85-86	14th
6	Melbourne	Princes Park	W	156-50	12th
7	North Melbourne	Subiaco	W	125-58	11th
8	Sydney	WACA	W	100-64	8th
9	Hawthorn	Waverley	W	90-56	8th
10	Adelaide	Football Park	W	130-76	7th
11	Collingwood	Subiaco	W	115-62	7th
12	St Kilda	Subiaco	W	141-108	6th
13	Footscray	Western Oval	W	71-59	5th
14	Richmond	MCG	W	68-51	3rd
15	Fitzroy	WACA	W	131-63	2nd
16	Fremantle	Subiaco	W	82-48	2nd
17	Brisbane	Gabba	L	116-163	3rd
18	Essendon	Subiaco	W	99-93	3rd
19	Geelong	Kardinia Park	L	82-127	4th
20	Carlton	Subiaco	W	127-68	4th
21	Melbourne	Subiaco	W	151-78	3rd
22	Sydney	SCG	L	50-85	4th
QF	Carlton	Subiaco	W	125-70
SF	Essendon	MCG	L	67-144

Club Champion leaderboard

#	Player		Votes		Games
1st	Banfield		36		24
2nd	Mainwaring		35		22
3rd	McKenna		34		22
4th	Pe.Matera		33		24
5th	White		32		23
6th	Kemp		31		21
7th	McIntosh		31		24
8th	Donnelly		29		20
9th	Evans		28		22
10th	Lovell		28		23

Stats leaders

	Goals		Disposals		Disp/game		Marks
1st	White	37 .	Mainwaring	465 .	Mainwaring	21.14 .	White	143
2nd	Cousins	34	Banfield	460	Kemp	21.05	Donnelly	118
3rd	Donnelly	28	Pe.Matera	458	Jakovich	19.42	McKenna	118
4th	Ball	25	Kemp	442	Banfield	19.17	Gehrig	99
5th	Morrison	24	Lovell	429	Pe.Matera	19.08	Pe.Matera	98
6th	Schofield	22	White	395	Lovell	18.65	Mainwaring	94
7th	Sumich	21	McKenna	379	Waterman	18.00	McIntosh	81
8th	Evans	17	Evans	364	McKenna	17.23	Lovell	79
9th	Lovell	13	Schofield	357	White	17.17	Kemp	73
10th	Kemp	12	Hart	307	Evans	16.55	Banfield	72
	Mainwaring	12
	Gehrig	12
	Kicks		Handballs		Tackles		Hit-outs
1st	Mainwaring	351 .	Banfield	220 .	Pe.Matera	71 .	Downsborough	151
2nd	Pe.Matera	339	McKenna	175	Kemp	70	Turnbull	145
3rd	Lovell	293	Kemp	168	McKenna	58	Jakovich	40
4th	Kemp	274	Evans	152	Evans	52	Ball	35
5th	White	262	Schofield	141	Banfield	48	Donnelly	29
6th	Banfield	240	Lovell	136	Mainwaring	41
7th	Hart	220	White	133	Lovell	38
8th	Schofield	216	Pe.Matera	119	Donnelly	36
9th	Evans	212	Gehrig	117	Metropolis	33
10th	McKenna	204	Mainwaring	114	Hart	29
					White	29