Women’s Australian Football in Switzerland: A Proud Legacy and a Bold Future
Women’s Australian football has been an integral part of AFL Switzerland’s journey since its inception in 2018. In 2025, Winterthur Lions player Molly Coleman—originally from country Victoria, Australia—was appointed Head of Women’s Football. With experience playing in Australia, Vietnam, and Switzerland, Molly brings a deep understanding of the game and a passion for growing the sport.
Due to logistical challenges, AFL Switzerland was unable to send the Swiss Heidis to the Euro Cups in 2024 and 2025. Molly has now taken on the exciting challenge of rebuilding the women’s national team.
Her goals include recruiting new players, rebranding the team name, and preparing a squad to proudly represent Switzerland at the 2026 Euro Cup in Amsterdam. AFL Switzerland is fully behind her, with planning already underway for a series of women’s “come and try” sessions in 2026.
It’s important to note: without women players, there would be no AFL league in Switzerland. While there aren’t yet enough players to form a separate women’s league, AFL Switzerland has adapted its rules to ensure inclusivity. As a result, there is no men’s or women’s league—just one unified AFL Switzerland league.
Women players compete under standard AFL rules when playing against other women. When matched against men, modified tackling rules are in place to ensure safety and fairness. Male players may only perform a safe wrap to prevent a woman from kicking, handballing, or bouncing.
If a male player cannot execute this safely, tackling is not permitted. Under no circumstance may a male player tackle a woman to the ground. All clubs educate new players on these rules, and the system has worked seamlessly since the league began.
AFL Switzerland has a proud history of women’s involvement—not just on the field, but across all levels of the league, from playing to volunteering, supporting and the league’s presidency position. Some of the pioneering women who played in the inaugural 2019 season and represented the Swiss Heidis at the 2019 Euro Cup, include Ulrike Senti, Katherine Dellar, Svenja Müller-Byrnes, and Yaël Weissmann.
Svenja Müller-Byrnes, a dual German-Australian national who grew up in Geelong, played women’s footy in New South Wales before becoming the first female player for the Basel Dragons.
Ulrike Senti, originally from Liechtenstein, began her AFL journey with the Winterthur Lions in 2019 before helping establish the Zürich Giants. She discovered the sport while studying in Tasmania and went on to serve as AFL Switzerland’s second president from 2021 to 2022.
Yaël Weissmann, from Switzerland, remains the only original 2019 women’s player still active in the league—now serving full-time as an umpire. In her playing days she played for the Winterthur Lions and still remains a dedicated member of her club today.
Katherine Dellar, from Western Australia, was the Geneva Jets’ trailblazing women’s player. She co-captained the first Swiss Heidis and was runner-up in the Jets’ 2019 Reserves Best & Fairest.
Have you ever dreamed of representing Switzerland on the national stage? We’re looking for passionate players to wear the red and white jumper at the 2026 Euro Cup in Amsterdam. If you’re interested, reach out to Molly at aflswitzerland@gmail.com for more information.
