Haneen Zreika could become the greatest nominee for The Frownlow Medal when her AFLW career ends, after refusing to play in Pride Round again.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off-field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern-day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes: the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while NRL star Talatau Amone is the most recent recipient.
Zreika has now refused to play in the highly-publicised AFLW Pride Round three times and earned as many Frownlow nominations. She sits out the fixture due to her Muslim faith and refuses to endorse the LGBT+ community.
Zreika is the first Muslim to play in the AFLW and even has a cup named in her honour, which is contested by Muslim girls and young women. It is a tournament designed to encourage more Muslim girls to play Aussie Rules and one day potentially play AFLW – so that they can also refuse to wear a Pride jersey wrapped in a rainbow?
Zreika’s religious conviction also draws attention to the AFL’s great conundrum, and reinforces the adage that you can’t please all the people all the time. It also prompted people to ask the difference between her stance, and that of another former Giant, Israel Folau.
The AFL goes to great lengths to be inclusive, as do the GWS Giants. However, in attempting to embrace one group in society (LGBT+) it will inevitably alienate another group (religious conservatives).
This is particularly apparent for the Giants. They represent Greater Western Sydney, which includes the socially progressive Inner West, and the more conservative Western Suburbs. Zreika proves yet again that even in 2024 the AFL has not found a way to placate and include every sector of society.
Will Zreika attend the awards night for The Frownlow Medal and The Frownlow Medal Hall of Fame later this yea?
It will definitely be haram.
Image: Getty Images
The Frownlow Medal 