Haneen Zreika

Last updated

Haneen Zreika
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-04-15) 15 April 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Western Sydney [1]
Original team(s) Auburn-Penrith Giants (AFL Sydney)
Draft No. 1, 2017 rookie draft
No. 69, 2018 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2019, Greater Western Sydney  vs. Brisbane, at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex
Height 157 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Inside midfielder
Other occupation Teacher's aide [2]
Club information
Current club Greater Western Sydney
Number 24
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2018– Greater Western Sydney 48 (9)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2023 season.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Haneen Zreika (born 15 April 1999) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She is the first person of Lebanese descent, and the first Muslim, to play in the AFL Women's. [3] Initially a rugby league player, Zreika switched to Australian rules football when she was 15 years old. Zreika played in the AFL Sydney competition before she was drafted by Greater Western Sydney in the 2017 rookie draft. She was delisted by the Giants at the end of the 2018 season, but was later re-selected in the 2018 draft after a strong season in the AFL Sydney. Zreika made her AFLW debut in the opening round of the 2019 season and was nominated for the 2019 AFL Women's Rising Star award in round 7.

Contents

Early life

Zreika grew up in western Sydney, the youngest of five siblings. She played rugby league with her two older brothers and supported the Canterbury Bulldogs. Her mother had migrated to Australia from Lebanon when she was 16. [4] Zreika competed in a mixed-gender rugby competition from the age of six, but was forced to stop playing when she was 12 because there were no competitions for girls of her age. [5] She first encountered Australian rules football when she was 15; her sports teacher at Strathfield South High School invited her to a clinic scouting multicultural players. Zreika was introduced to the Auburn-Penrith Giants and began playing for them a year later in the top women's division of the AFL Sydney. [2] She competed in the 2016 AFL Youth Girls National Championships for a combined New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory side. [6]

In 2017, Zreika was named in the inaugural AFLW Academy, one of 33 prospective female players. As part of this squad she took part in various training camps and activities. [7] She made a brief return to rugby league in the under-18 division of the Tarsha Gale Cup, playing as a hooker for Canterbury in the final. [8] Zreika was named as a midfielder among 54 players in 2017 AFL Women's Under 18 Championships All-Australian squad after her performance at the competition, [9] but did not make the final team. [10] She tested at the AFLW draft combine in the lead-up to the 2017 draft, finishing third in the two-kilometre time trial and seventh in the yo-yo endurance test. [11] Zreika was anticipated to be drafted by Greater Western Sydney as they were the only AFLW club in New South Wales. [2]

AFLW career

The Giants overlooked Zreika in the national draft, but later selected her with the first pick in the rookie draft. [1] She did not play a game in 2018 and was delisted at the end of the season. [12] Zreika returned to the Auburn-Penrith Giants and won 17 votes in the 2018 Mostyn Medal (AFL Sydney's women's best and fairest). This equalled the tally of the overall winner Pippa Smythe; however, Zreika was ineligible because of an earlier suspension. [13]

Zreika was relisted by the Giants with pick 69 in the 2018 AFLW draft. [14] She debuted in the opening round of the 2019 season against Brisbane. [5] In round 7, on the day of the Christchurch mosque shootings, Zreika kicked her first AFLW goal against Geelong. Players observed a minute of silence prior to the match and wore black armbands. [15] Zreika received the final nomination for the 2019 AFL Women's Rising Star award after collecting 17 disposals – a personal best – seven tackles and four clearances. She played five matches for the season. [12]

In January 2022, Zreika decided to opt out of playing in the AFLW Pride Round after "deciding the jumper does not align with her religious beliefs." [16]

Related Research Articles

Renee Tomkins is a former Australian soccer player who last played for Western Sydney Wanderers in the Australian W-League, and an Australian rules footballer who last played for Greater Western Sydney. In 2015, she juggled soccer and Australian rules football commitments, playing for Penrith Ramettes along with Marconi Stallions. She retired from soccer in 2016, concentrating on Australian rules football. Tomkins was selected in the AFL Sydney team and went on to play in their match against Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval before nominating for the inaugural AFLW national draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Barr</span> Australian rules footballer

Nicola Barr is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL Women's competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Swanson</span> Australian rules footballer

Emma Swanson is an Australian rules footballer and the captain of the West Coast Eagles in the AFL Women's competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jess Dal Pos</span> Australian rules footballer

Jessica Dal Pos is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Carlton Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Greater Western Sydney Giants from 2017 to 2021, having been one of their four priority selections prior to the 2016 AFL Women's draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicola Stevens</span> Australian rules footballer

Nicola Stevens is an Australian rules footballer playing for St Kilda in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for Collingwood in 2017 and for Carlton in 2018–2022. Stevens was selected in the inaugural AFL Women's All-Australian team and was the inaugural Collingwood best and fairest winner during her only season with the Magpies in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhiannon Metcalfe</span> Australian rules footballer

Rhiannon Metcalfe is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevie-Lee Thompson</span> Australian rules footballer

Stevie-Lee Thompson is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's competition.

Jordan Membrey is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Gold Coast. She has also played for Brisbane and Collingwood in the AFL Women's.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alicia Eva</span> Australian rules footballer

Alicia Eva is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Collingwood Football Club in 2017. Eva was selected in the AFL Women's All-Australian team and won the Gabrielle Trainor Medal in her first season at the Giants in 2018. She served as Greater Western Sydney captain from 2020 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Privitelli</span> Australian rules footballer (born 1995)

Rebecca Privitelli is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Sydney in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for Carlton and for the Greater Western Sydney Giants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Bernardi</span> Australian rules footballer

Christina Bernardi is an Australian rules footballer who has played for Collingwood, Greater Western Sydney, Richmond and Carlton in the AFL Women's (AFLW). In 2018, she was Collingwood's leading goalkicker and was selected in the All-Australian team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Beeson</span> Australian rules footballer

Rebecca Beeson is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL Women's competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britt Tully</span> Australian rules footballer

Brittany Tully is an Australian rules footballer and softballer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Molloy</span> Australian rules footballer (born 1998)

Chloe Molloy is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Collingwood Football Club from 2018 to season 7. Molloy is a three-time AFL Women's All-Australian, and won the AFL Women's Rising Star and Collingwood best and fairest awards in 2018. She also led Collingwood's goalkicking in 2021 and season 6, and Sydney's goalkicking in 2023. Molloy has served as Sydney co-captain since the 2023 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Gum</span> Australian rules footballer

Courtney Gum is a retired Australian rules footballer who most recently played for the Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW). She previously played two seasons with the Greater Western Sydney before announcing a retirement in 2019, then reneging to reenter the AFLW draft later that same year.

Alyce Parker is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW).

Tait Mackrill is an Australian rules footballer who played for Greater Western Sydney (GWS) in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted in the 2017 AFLW rookie draft before debuting in round 3 of the 2019 season.

Maddie Shevlin is an Australian rules footballer playing for Richmond in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Initially a tag rugby player, Shevlin played with the Gungahlin Jets in the AFL Canberra for two seasons before she was drafted by Melbourne in the 2017 AFLW rookie draft. Delisted after one season, she was re-drafted by Collingwood in the 2018 national draft and made her professional debut in round 3 of the 2019 season. After three seasons she was traded to Richmond.

Lisa Whiteley is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Adelaide in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Whiteley was a teacher at Aldinga Beach B-7 Primary School as a PE Teacher before being Drafted to GWS Giants Whiteley grew up in Adelaide's southern suburbs. She began playing football for the Port Adelaide Women's Football Club in 2011 before turning her attention to netball with the Woods Panthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebony O'Dea</span> Australian rules footballer

Ebony O'Dea is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Port Adelaide in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She has previously been listed with Greater Western Sydney (GWS) and Collingwood. After being picked by GWS in the 2018 national draft, she was delisted after one season. She was re-drafted by Collingwood in the 2019 national draft and made her league debut in round 2 of the 2020 season, before moving to Port Adelaide ahead of 2022 season 7.

References

  1. 1 2 Colangelo, Anthony (20 October 2017). "Highly rated midfielder Haneen Zreika among women given AFLW rookie draft lifeline". The Age . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Black, Sarah (12 October 2017). "AFLW: Teacher's aide born to be a Giant". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media . Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "GWS Giants teenager Haneen Zreika to make AFLW history with debut". Nine.com.au . Nine Entertainment. Australian Associated Press. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  4. ↑ Beveridge, Riley (17 October 2017). "Haneen Zreika has embraced AFL, after growing up in Western Sydney's rugby heartland". Fox Sports Australia . News Corp Australia . Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  5. 1 2 Chrysanthos, Natassia (1 February 2019). "'Making history': Haneen Zreika to debut as AFLW's first Muslim player". The Age . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  6. ↑ Arnold, Caitlin (19 March 2019). "Zreika gets Round 7 NAB AFL Women's Rising Star nod". aflnswact.com.au. AFL NSW/ACT . Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "Women's academy to fast-track young talent". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  8. ↑ Bollen, Fiona (5 May 2017). "Tarsha Gale Cup final: Bulldogs' Haneen Zreika loving being back in rugby league". The Daily Telegraph . News Corp Australia . Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  9. ↑ Black, Sarah (18 July 2017). "AFLW U18 All Australian squad named". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  10. ↑ Black, Sarah (4 September 2017). "AFLW: Vic Country dominates U18 All Australian side". Telstra Media. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  11. ↑ McGowan, Marc (5 October 2017). "SA pair Allan and Hewett shine at AFLW Combine". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media . Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  12. 1 2 Black, Sarah (19 March 2019). "Top-10 pick, first Muslim player, earn final Rising Star nominations". womens.afl. Telstra Media . Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  13. ↑ Arnold, Caitlin (14 September 2018). "Crane and Smyth claim 2018 Phelan and Mostyn Medals". sydneyafl.com.au. SportsTG. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "2018 NAB AFL Women's Draft". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "AFLW's first Muslim player, Haneen Zreika, kicks her first AFLW goal on day of Christchurch mosque shootings". Fox Sports Australia . News Corp Australia. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  16. ↑ Varga, Remy (28 January 2022). "Pride jumper a step too far for Muslim player". The Australian . Archived from the original on 28 January 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.