LIONS Admin Support Officer Emma Zielke was selected at pick #7 for the Western Bulldogs in the third AFL Women’s Draft held at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on Monday night.
 
Zielke retains the #7 pick after being nominated by Melbourne in 2014.
 
Queenslanders Emily Bates, Leah Kaslar and Jordan Zanchetta were also selected by the Bulldogs. Tayla Harris was picked by Melbourne.
 
The five will play in two exhibition matches. The Demons will host the first game at the MCG on May 24, with the second match hosted by the Bulldogs on August 16 at Etihad Stadium.
 
AFL Queensland Female High Performance Coach Craig Starcevich has been appointed the Bulldogs coach and Michelle Cowan will again head the undefeated Demons.
 
Zielke who won the QWAFL best and fairest in 2014 said she was thrilled with the selection and is looking forward to working alongside Starcevich.
 
“I’m still pretty high on excitement at the moment from being picked. It needs to sink in, I guess”, she laughed.
 
“Craig and I have a really good friendship, I’m going away in two weeks to help coach the Youth Girls and Craig’s the head coach. We get along really well and he’s also the coach for the Women’s State Team. It’s exciting to have him as coach, he knows how I play so it’s already an advantage for me, I guess.”
 
Zielke boasts two Premierships as captain of Coorparoo in 2013 and 2014, and the Queensland state women’s team in 2014.
 
“I’m going to have to get in extra sessions to what I’m doing now. I had a few injury concerns for pre-season, but now I can get into some more conditioning sessions, so I’m definitely ramping it up.
 
“The teams have really evened out this year; it’s definitely going to be a bit of a more balanced game compared to the past two years”, she said.