| NSL 1996-97 | |
| League: | National Soccer League |
| Sport: | Association football |
| Duration: | 1996–97 |
| No Of Teams: | 14 |
| Season: | NSL season |
| Season Champs: | Brisbane Strikers |
| Season Champ Name: | Champions |
| League Champs: | Sydney United |
| League Champ Name: | Minor premiers |
| Top Scorer: | David Zdrilic (21) |
| Seasonslist: | List of NSL seasons |
| Seasonslistnames: | National Soccer League |
| Prevseason Link: | 1995–96 National Soccer League |
| Prevseason Year: | 1995–96 |
| Nextseason Link: | 1997–98 National Soccer League |
| Nextseason Year: | 1997–98 |
The 1996–97 National Soccer League season, was the 21st season of the National Soccer League in Australia.
| Team | Home city | Home ground | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide City | Hindmarsh Stadium | ||
| Lang Park | |||
| Bruce Stadium | |||
| Collingwood Warriors | Victoria Park Olympic Park | ||
| Falcons Park | |||
| Marconi-Stallions | Marconi Stadium | ||
| Melbourne Knights | Melbourne | Knights Stadium | |
| Newcastle Breakers | Breakers Stadium | ||
| Perth Glory | Perth Oval | ||
| South Melbourne | Melbourne | Lakeside Stadium | |
| Sydney United | Sydney | Edensor Park | |
| UTS Olympic | Sydney | Belmore Oval | |
| West Adelaide | Adelaide | Hindmarsh Stadium | |
| Wollongong City | Brandon Park |
It was contested by 14 teams, and Brisbane Strikers won the championship. Perth Glory and Collingwood Warriors entered the competition.
See main article: 1997 National Soccer League Grand Final.