Haneen Zreika to be first Muslim to play AFL womens league

She’s yet to step on to the field but GWS Giants recruit Haneen Zreika is already making history as the first Muslim woman to play.

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She’s yet to step on to the field but GWS Giants recruit Haneen Zreika is already booting some big goals.

On Sunday she makes history as the first Muslim woman to play a senior match when she and her teammates head north to take on the Brisbane Lions at home.

“I feel very honoured because it’s a big thing in our culture for a girl to play sport,” Haneen said.

“In my culture you will hardly see a girl playing sport but I’m fortunate my mum loves that I play.”

Recruits Maddy Collier , Haneen Zreika and Delma Gisu. Picture: Richard Dobson

The Chester Hill local said her role models growing up were her two older brothers who both played sport.

“I want to show that Muslim girls can play sport. It’s a start but there is still lots to do,” she said.

“There was one girl who played with us but she used to bring her clothes from home because she wasn’t allowed to play.”

It’s been a tough ride to debut. After first being drafted with the Giants in 2018, she didn’t play a single game and was delisted at the end of the season.

Haneen Zreika will play her first game on Sunday. Picture: David Swift

But the young hopeful was redrafted this year.

“I’ve got mixed emotions (about the debut). We had a great pre-season and I’m just looking forward to working just as hard now,” she said.

“It’s all more multicultural now. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds in our team now.”

Haneen Zreika says she wants to show that Muslim girls can play sport.

And Zreika also comes from a rugby league family and played that code in a mixed comp until she turned 12 and the genders split— but there was no girls’ team.

“I just did sport at school until one day my PE teacher saw me and said, ‘Do you want to come have a play around with the boys?’,” she said.

“I said I don’t know what AFL is but he told me to just catch, kick and tackle and you’ll be fine.”

Zreika said being the first Muslim woman to play AFLW has allowed her to be a role model for other young girls.