Former Brisbane Lions AFLW Premiership captain and current Head coach Academy Women’s, Emma Zielke has informed the Club she will be departing to take on a new role with the GWS Giants.
An inaugural captain and player of the Brisbane Lions AFLW program, Zielke was an assistant coach in Season 6, 2022 and the runner in 2023 while also taking on the Youi Brisbane Lions Academy, heading up the female program in 2023.
“This Club has been such a significant part of my life over the past 13 years,” Zielke said.
“To represent the Lions as a player and be part of building something from the ground up is something I’ll always be incredibly proud of.
“Transitioning into coaching and working within the Academy has been just as rewarding, especially seeing young female players grow not just as footballers, but as people and seeing a lot of them reach their goal of playing AFLW has been fantastic to be a small part of.
“While I’m really excited for what’s ahead, I’ll always be grateful to the Club, my teammates, and the people who backed me along the way.”
Zielke has been the Queensland u18 girls coach for the past three National Championships finishing runners-up in both 2023 and 2025.
