LION KING

This is Emma. She has been footy obsessed since she was a wee one. From kickin the ball with dad she’s gone on to captaining a Brisbane women’s team to captain of the AFLW Lions, taking her team of lionesses to the first and second finals making her the most successful women’s AFL captain in the history of the world.

So bae, you kween AF – how does it feel to lead your team into the finals (again) this Saturday?
Super proud would be the best way to describe the feeling I have of going into the Grand Finals. You can watch our reaction as a team when we found out, here: Lions made the finals, second year running.

ALL HAIL THE KWEEN. What is the support like from fans?
Really awesome – they always seem super positive wherever we go. We have one old man come to our trainings every week and hands out stats to our players from the game we just played, along with really bad quality photos of us to sign.

Cold hard fact: chicks footy is so much better to watch than the blokes – why do you reckon that is?
I think the girls just absolutely crack in, (not that the men don’t) but its also just great seeing we have the courage to beat the stereotype.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 5: Emma Zielke of the Lions leads her team onto the field during the 2017 AFLW Round 01 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Brisbane Lions at Casey Fields on February 5, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media)

Fave thing about being in AFLW?
Just love being in a professional environment with great coaches and support staff and getting to see 29 of my mates every night.

What do you do on weekends?
I love going fishing, so I try to do that as much as possible. Or go to the beach and take the dog out.

So, we played for Morningside Wildcats together in 2010 and we won the state champion title – just how impressed were you with my mad skills?
They would have given anyone a medal that day, Sprink. So as much as you boasted about getting one I had a little giggle about how proud you were cos they were basically handing them out to anyone.

Correct, like you, I am a true champion. Have you had lots of chats with the Lions blokes team?
Yeah have made a few mates from the boys team. Most of them are super chatty and friendly, probably more friendly to our hotter girls haha but nah they are great supporters of our team.

Footy players know how to party – what do you and the team do?
We sure do, Mad Monday is always epic. Dress up as crazy as you like and nothing is off limits on Mad Monday – you should remember that!

Kewlest thing to happen as the Captain?
Someone tagged me in a photo on Insta of their new pet guinea pig because they named it Zilks after me which I thought was pretty kewl