Western Sydney duo redrafted by the GWS Giants in the 2018 AFLW draft
Western Sydney’s Renee Tomkins and Haneen Zreika have well and truly earned their colours with the pair redrafted by the GWS Giants for the 2019 AFLW season
Penrith
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The GWS Giants have redrafted western Sydney locals Renee Tomkins and Haneen Zreika for the 2019 AFLW season.
Penrith local Tomkins, 32, was taken with pick number 63 while 19-year-old Zreika, from Auburn, was picked up three spots later.
Both women earned their selection in the 2019 squad after starring for the Auburn-Penrith Giants during this year’s AFL Sydney competition.
It was an especially emotional draft for Tomkins after she suffered a transverse process fracture in her spine just a few weeks out from the start of the 2018 season.
“At training one day I went to catch the ball and one of my players tried to jump over the top of me and kneed me in the back by accident,” Tomkins said.
“I was out for seven weeks but I was able to get back and play the last four rounds of the comp.
“Having to go back through the draft was pretty tough so it means a lot to be able to put the guernsey back on this year.”
For Zreika meanwhile, her selection in the draft is the culmination of a journey that began on the rugby league field.
The pocket rocket grew up a diehard Canterbury Bulldogs fan and even played for the club in the under-18 Tarsha Gale women’s competition.
“At school I gave AFL a go and loved it,” she said.
“Then last year I got picked up by the Giants as a rookie. I had to work hard this year to get (drafted) so wearing these colours means a lot, especially because I’m from western Sydney and who doesn’t want to play for their home town?”
The Giants will be playing two games at Blacktown International Sportspark during the 2019 AFLW season.
For the full fixture, head to gwsgiants.com.au