| Club: | Hawthorn Football Club |
| Season: | 1996 |
| President: | Brian Coleman |
| Coach: | Ken Judge |
| Captain: | Jason Dunstall |
| Home Ground: | Waverley Park |
| Regularseason Comp: | AFL season |
| Regularseason Result: | 11–10–1 (8th) |
| Finals Series: | Finals series |
| Finals Result: | Qualifying Final (lost to 84–90) |
| Club B&Amp;F: | Best and Fairest |
| Best And Fairest: | Paul Salmon |
| Leading Goalscorer: | Jason Dunstall (101) |
| Highest Attendance: | 38,263 (Round 2 vs.) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 14,286 (Round 9 vs.) |
| Average Attendance: | 23,624 |
| Prevseason: | 1995 |
| Nextseason: | 1997 |
The 1996 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 72nd season in the Australian Football League and 95th overall.
| Rd | Date and local time | Opponent | Scores (Hawthorn's scores indicated in bold) | Venue | Attendance | Record | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Away | Result | |||||||
| 1 | Saturday, 30 March (2:10 pm) | 11.5 (71) | 13.14 (92) | Won by 21 points | Whitten Oval (A) | 10,239 | 1–0 | ||
| 2 | Saturday, 6 April (2:10 pm) | 6.15 (51) | 14.14 (98) | Lost by 47 points | Waverley Park (H) | 38,263 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | Saturday, 13 April (2:10 pm) | 12.8 (80) | 22.21 (153) | Lost by 73 points | Waverley Park (H) | 20,331 | 1–2 | ||
| 4 | Saturday, 20 April (2:10 pm) | 8.9 (57) | 8.9 (57) | Draw | Whitten Oval (A) | 16,804 | 1–2–1 | ||
| 5 | Saturday, 27 April (7:40 pm) | 13.10 (88) | 11.10 (76) | Lost by 12 points | Sydney Cricket Ground (A) | 20,227 | 1–3–1 | ||
| 6 | Saturday, 4 May (7:40 pm) | 9.11 (65) | 13.8 (86) | Lost by 21 points | Waverley Park (H) | 30,225 | 1–4–1 | ||
| 7 | Saturday, 11 May (7:40 pm) | 15.14 (104) | 5.11 (41) | Lost by 63 points | The Gabba (A) | 20,053 | 1–5–1 | ||
| 8 | Saturday, 18 May (2:10 pm) | 19.8 (122) | 10.11 (71) | Won by 51 points | Waverley Park (H) | 20,527 | 2–5–1 | ||
| 9 | Saturday, 25 May (2:10 pm) | 8.8 (56) | 14.6 (90) | Lost by 34 points | Waverley Park (H) | 14,286 | 2–6–1 | ||
| 10 | Sunday, 9 June (2:10 pm) | 7.11 (53) | 17.8 (110) | Won by 57 points | Subiaco Oval (A) | 19,350 | 3–6–1 | ||
| 11 | Saturday, 15 June (2:10 pm) | 16.12 (108) | 14.15 (99) | Won by 9 points | Waverley Park (H) | 16,652 | 4–6–1 | ||
| 12 | Saturday, 22 June (2:10 pm) | 17.12 (114) | 12.11 (83) | Won by 31 points | Waverley Park (H) | 16,217 | 5–6–1 | ||
| 13 | Saturday, 29 June (2:10 pm) | 18.13 (121) | 15.10 (100) | Lost by 21 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 43,481 | 5–7–1 | ||
| 14 | Saturday, 6 July (2:10 pm) | 17.12 (114) | 11.15 (81) | Won by 33 points | Waverley Park (H) | 30,886 | 6–7–1 | ||
| 15 | Saturday, 13 July (2:10 pm) | 10.12 (72) | 11.8 (74) | Won by 2 points | Kardinia Park (A) | 22,207 | 7–7–1 | ||
| 16 | Saturday, 20 July (7:40 pm) | 15.8 (98) | 7.7 (49) | Won by 49 points | Waverley Park (H) | 28,670 | 8–7–1 | ||
| 17 | Saturday, 27 July (2:10 pm) | 17.12 (114) | 11.7 (73) | Lost by 41 points | Optus Oval (A) | 19,081 | 8–8–1 | ||
| 18 | Friday, 2 August (8:10 pm) | 19.16 (130) | 15.9 (99) | Lost by 31 points | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 28,555 | 8–9–1 | ||
| 19 | Saturday, 10 August (7:40 pm) | 20.12 (132) | 10.5 (65) | Won by 67 points | Waverley Park (H) | 14,914 | 9–9–1 | ||
| 20 | Saturday, 17 August (2:10 pm) | 7.7 (49) | 9.18 (62) | Lost by 23 points | Waverley Park (H) | 28,897 | 9–10–1 | ||
| 21 | Saturday, 24 August (2:10 pm) | 9.9 (63) | 12.8 (80) | Won by 17 points | Waverley Park (A) | 28,118 | 10–10–1 | ||
| 22 | Saturday, 31 August (7:40 pm) | 15.11 (101) | 15.12 (102) | Won by 1 point | Melbourne Cricket Ground (A) | 63,196 | 11–10–1 | ||
| [1] | |||||||||