Jess Wuetschner
Jess Wuetschner is a former Australian rules football player who played for Brisbane and Essendon in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Born on 28 April 1992 in Hobart, Tasmania, she began playing football at 16 with Clarence in the Tasmanian Women's League, where she dominated by winning the league’s leading goalkicker and best-and-fairest awards from 2011 to 2013 and helping Clarence win three premierships. She also played hockey and cricket growing up.
In 2014, Wuetschner moved to Perth to play for East Fremantle in the WA Women's Football League. She also took part in AFL exhibition matches with the Western Bulldogs in 2015 and spent time in the United States with the Boston Lady Demons in 2015.
Brisbane selected her with pick No. 34 in the 2016 AFLW draft. She debuted in Brisbane’s inaugural AFLW match in 2017 against Melbourne. She kicked two goals in Brisbane’s 2017 Grand Final loss to Adelaide and was named in the 40-player All-Australian squad. In 2018 she was Brisbane’s leading goalkicker with 11 goals and earned All-Australian honours as Brisbane reached the Grand Final again, this time losing to the Western Bulldogs, with Wuetschner kicking two goals. She earned another All-Australian nod in 2019 for her consistent form and goal-scoring.
In 2020 Wuetschner was struck by lightning while working as a stevedore at the Port of Brisbane. She recovered but faced mental health challenges. She returned in 2021 as Brisbane won its first AFLW premiership, kicking two goals in the Grand Final. In 2022 she faced form and health hurdles, was delisted by Brisbane in May, and joined expansion club Essendon in June as a delisted free agent.
Across Brisbane and Essendon, Wuetschner played 55 AFLW games and kicked 42 goals before retiring at the end of the 2023 season. Her career also included representative football with The Allies in 2017.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:41 (CET).