Emma Zielke
Zielke playing for Brisbane in March 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1988-04-19) 19 April 1988
Place of birth Bundaberg, Queensland
Original team(s) University of Queensland (QWAFL)
Draft Priority signing, 2016: Brisbane
Debut Round 1, 2017, Brisbane vs. Melbourne, at Casey Fields
Height 169 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2017–2021 Brisbane 41 (4)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2017 The Allies 1 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of the 2021 season.
2 State and international statistics correct as of 2017.
Career highlights

AFLW

State

  • 2× QWAFL best and fairest: 2014, 2015
  • 3× QWAFL premiership captain: 2013–2015
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Emma Zielke (born 19 April 1988) is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Women's competition. She was the club's inaugural AFLW team captain, leading the club in 2017–2018 and 2020–2021.

Early life and state league football

Zielke was born and raised in Bundaberg, Queensland.[1] She grew up a passionate Brisbane Broncos fan and played soccer from the age of 6.[2] Following high school graduation, Zielke moved to Brisbane to pursue greater opportunities in soccer but quickly lost passion for the sport and tried her hand at Australian rules football after being convinced by friends to try the sport. She first played Aussie rules in 2008 at the age of 19[3][4] for her local club Morningside.[4]

She was selected to participate in the women's AFL high-performance camp in 2010. As part of the program she played in a curtain-raiser exhibition match ahead of the round 12, 2010 AFL match between Melbourne and Collingwood.[5] After the team at Morningside folded, Zielke approached the Coorparoo Football Club about establishing a women's team in 2013, to play in the AFL Queensland Women's League (QAWFL).[4][6] She was the club's inaugural captain.[7] In 2013, a broken arm forced Zielke to miss a considerable period of football, including a chance to play in the first women's AFL exhibition match.[8] She returned to football late in the season and captained Coorparoo to a state-league premiership. She kicked a goal after the siren to win the game.[4]

In 2014 and 2015, she captained her second and third consecutive QAWFL premierships, while also being awarded the league's best and fairest in both years.[9] Zielke moved again in 2016, this time to the University of Queensland side competing again in the QAWFL.[10] She was named in the league's team of the year at the conclusion of the season.[11] In 2014, Zielke was drafted by Melbourne ahead of the years women's AFL exhibition match. She was not retained after that year's match and would subsequently re-nominate for the draft in 2015. She was selected again, this time by the Western Bulldogs.[8] She later played in and captained the Brisbane Lion's representative side in the 2016 exhibition series.[12][13] Zielke has captained Queensland at three AFL Women's National Championships.[8][14]

AFL Women's career

Zielke was signed as a priority access player by Brisbane in August 2016, ahead of the inaugural AFL Women's season in 2017.[15] She completed a reduced pre-season ahead of 2017, after breaking her foot in September 2016.[16] Zielke was named the club's inaugural AFL Women's captain in January 2017.[9]

Zielke was highlighted as "Player of the Week" for her round 3 performance in the 2017 AFL Women's season. It was the second round in a row that a Brisbane Lions player received this honor from the AFL Players Association.[17][18] At the end of the season, Zielke was nominated by her teammates for the AFLW Players’ Most Valuable Player Award,[19] and was also listed in the 2017 40-player All-Australian squad.[20]

On 17 May 2017, Brisbane announced they have signed Zielke for the 2018 season.[21]

In April 2021, following Brisbane's 18-point Grand Final victory over Adelaide to claim the 2021 AFL Women's season premiership.[22] The Emma Zielke Medal, the medal awarded to the best and fairest player in the AFL Queensland Women's League, was named after her in August 2021, due to her work in pioneering women's football in Queensland.[23]

Statistics

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2017Brisbane883065279218410.40.08.13.411.52.35.12
2018Brisbane880164349824290.00.18.04.312.33.03.64
2019Brisbane871150247424100.10.17.13.410.63.41.42
2020Brisbane870147216818130.00.16.73.09.72.61.91
2021Brisbane81100663710314170.00.06.03.49.41.31.50
Career[24] 4143292143435981100.10.17.13.510.62.42.79

Personal life

Off-field, Zielke works as an admin support officer at the Brisbane Lions.[15] She also has worked as an assistant coach of the Queensland under 18 youth girls team.[7][25]

References

  1. ↑ Gorey, Michael (7 October 2020). "AFL Premiership Cup coming to Bundaberg". Bundaberg Now. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  2. ↑ Goetze, Eliza (3 February 2017). "'It will go berserk': Emma Zielke on AFL women making a mark". News Mail. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  3. ↑ "Q&A: Emma Zielke". Western Bulldogs. Bigpond. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lord, Sam (20 May 2014). "Zielke does Lions proud". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  5. ↑ Leesa Catto and Matt Burgan (19 May 2014). "2014 AFL Women's Draft selections". Melbourne Football Club. Bigond. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "Brisbane Lions AFL Women's Players". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Emma Zielke on her captaincy role". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 Newman, Beth (24 April 2015). "Emma Zielke drafted for Western Bulldogs in Women's AFL exhibition". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Emma Zielke named as Brisbane Lions' inaugural AFLW Captain". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  10. ↑ Stewart, Jess (11 April 2016). "2016 QWAFL preview: UQ". AFL Queensland. SportsTG. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  11. ↑ "Two Lions named in QWAFL Team of the Year". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  12. ↑ Matthews, Bruce (17 April 2016). "Second-half Surge Helps Lions' Women Deliver a Double". AFL Media. Bigpond. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  13. ↑ Stewart, Jessica (15 April 2016). "Match Preview: Women's Exhibition Game". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  14. ↑ Cartwright, Lexie (1 January 2017). "Young Queensland talent to watch in 2017". The Sunday Mail. News Corp. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Emma Zielke selected as our priority pick". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  16. ↑ Harris, Tayla (1 December 2016). "Zielke's on track". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  17. ↑ "Zielke named 'Player of the Week' - lions.com.au". lions.com.au. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  18. ↑ "AFLW Player Of The Week: Round 3". AFLPA. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  19. ↑ "AFLW MVP Nominations Revealed". AFL Players Association. 21 March 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "AFLW Lions and Crows dominate All Australian squad". AFL.com.au. BigPond. 23 March 2017. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  21. ↑ Wood, Lauren (17 May 2017). "Collingwood's AFLW team could lose another star player with Alicia Eva exploring her trade options". www.heraldsun.com.au. News Corp. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  22. ↑ Phelan, Jennifer (18 April 2021). "Zilks Bows Out on Top". Brisbane Lions. Telstra.
  23. ↑ Whiting, Michael (4 August 2021). "Queensland football's tribute to Zielke, B&F medal named in her honour". womens.afl. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  24. ↑ Emma Zielke at AustralianFootball.com
  25. ↑ Lord, Sam (11 December 2014). "Female touch for Academy". Brisbane Lions. Bigpond. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
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