AN INAUGURAL AFLW player and premiership-winning captain at Brisbane, Emma Zielke left the Lions to pursue her dream of becoming an AFLW head coach one day — a role she got a sudden taste of just a week into her new job.

After three years in the talent pathway heading the Brisbane Lions Female Academy and Queensland U18 Female State team, Zielke made the move from the Sunshine State to the Harbour City ahead of pre-season to launch her re-entry into the AFLW landscape.

With Bernasconi away on paternity leave, Zielke stepped straight into the caretaker head coaching role, taking charge of the team's on-field training sessions and leading their operational meetings.

“It’s been very busy. It's a big learning curve, but it’s been great. Cam set it up well for me to succeed by having the plan already laid out,” Zielke told AFL.com.au.

“It's been good for the girls to hear a different voice, given that Cam has been the only full-time coach in the program for the last four years. 

“With the support of the other coaches, everyone has been chipping in. It’s been fantastic getting to know the girls and interesting to learn the differences between the two programs (Brisbane and GWS), but I've loved every moment so far.”

All reports suggest Zielke is living up to her strong, confident leadership style. While behavioural shifts can be common under a ‘substitute teacher’, Zielke has instead taken full control, setting high standards and commanding immediate respect from the group.

“My type of leadership is very direct and bold, so I don't think they get away with much. If anything, I'm onto them even more,” Zielke said. 

“The feedback from the players’ end has been pretty good; they felt the transition was seamless.”

While Bernasconi is now back at the club, he will remain "in and out" for a three-week transition period to continue supporting his family at home. 

To help him ease back in, Zielke will continue to handle most of the on-field training load, giving Bernasconi the freedom to step back, observe, and provide highly specific coaching while the rest of the staff keeps the program running smoothly.

The addition of Zielke headlines a list of new and returning faces in Bernasconi's coaching group for the 2026 season.

Stephen Camp has been elevated from a development coach role to oversee the backline, while Michael Horne returns as the opposition and transition coach. 

Beloved ex-player and club champion Shane Mumford also comes on board as an assistant coach, bringing his experience as an AFL premiership player while continuing his work as the specialist ruck coach within the men's program.

Meanwhile, fellow former Giant Bec Privitelli returns to the club as a development coach.

“We're working really well together as a group,” Zielke said of the new-look coaching panel.

“We have lots of fun, which is something you really need to have, and all the players have been so receptive.”

Zielke’s full-time arrival is part of a broader shift she hopes to see across the competition. While managing the side’s forward line and leading the Giants’ AFLW development program, she is advocating for more full-time assistant roles in the League, noting that extra time and resources are crucial for accelerating player development.

“Based on the feedback I'm hearing; the players haven't had a lot of time with their line coaches in the past. Now they're getting access to so many more hours,” she said.

“The players deserve to have that time and effort put into them with the commitment they make. They're loving the fact that they can get more education, have more time with their coach to learn and ask questions, and just have someone really hone in on them.

“What I'm seeing is players just craving being able to sit with a coach, watch vision, and get constant feedback, rather than just now and then.”

While the exact number of full-time AFLW assistant coaches remains fluid across the 18 clubs, the League's coaching landscape is in a clear state of transition. 

Despite current structural and financial barriers, Zielke wants the soft cap increased so dedicated, full-time assistant roles become the competition standard rather than a luxury for a select few.

“That's the next step we need to take in terms of resourcing. We need to open up the soft cap to be able to pay full-time assistant coaches, because at the end of the day, we're going to help players develop so much quicker if we've got more time with them,” she said.

“We need to advocate for that as a coaching collective… we just need more of it to happen quicker.”

The Giants have won just five games over the past three seasons, but despite that record, the club has complete faith in its direction.

After initially giving Bernasconi a one-year contract extension following the 2025 season, the club locked him in for an additional two years in April, extending his tenure until at least the end of the 2028 season.

Zielke admires Bernasconi, highlighting how under-resourced the Giants' AFLW program has been in the past, when a lack of funding and staff left the head coach overworked.

“The way Cam is with the group is incredible. I could see it from the first week I was here — the admiration the girls have for him,” she said.

“He keeps a positive culture… He passes on so much knowledge. I love his footy brain in terms of tactics and the strategies he wants to roll with; that's something I want to learn more about. I can understand why they wanted to put pen to paper before the season started. 

Zielke adds: “For the last four years, self-admitting, they probably had a lack of resources around Cam. So, the amount of work he has done to be that sole ranger as the only full-time coach is incredible. I honestly don't know how he's done it. It’s just really nice to see him fully supported now. 

“He has full trust in us to make sure the message he wants to get across is clear and consistent. The group is definitely expecting results from it, so we'll see how it goes.”