The 1996 National Soccer League Grand Final was the first grand final to be held under the A-League name after the short-lived rebranding of the National Soccer League (NSL) began before the 1995âÂÂ96 season. Melbourne Knights defeated Marconi-Fairfield 2âÂÂ1 to win their second consecutive grand final.
Melbourne Knights were the first team into the grand final defeating Marconi-Fairfield 3âÂÂ2 over two legs in the major semi-final.
After losing the major semi-final to the Knights, Marconi-Fairfield followed up with a 4âÂÂ1 win over Adelaide City in the preliminary final to book their place in the grand final.
With Melbourne Knights the first into the final, there was speculation that the Knights would host the match at Somers Street, however Soccer Australia announced on 12 May that the match would be played at Olympic Park.