Emma Zielke says Brisbane won’t change their approach to footy in top of ladder clash with Adelaide

BRISBANE will play Adelaide in a huge top of the ladder clash and Lions captain Emma Zielke doesn’t want her players to change their approach despite the importance of the game.

EMMA Zielke, like every skipper in the new AFLW league, is in uncharted waters.

In big games it is the responsibility of the senior players to settle the nerves of the youngsters, to get their mind switched on to the job at hand.

But in the AFLW there are no veterans or rookies, just older and younger players.

On Saturday night the Brisbane Lions play the biggest game of their careers so far and captain Zielke is in the same boat as her teammates.

So what happens when an occasion arrives like Saturday night — when the Lions take on the Crows in a top of the table clash on free-to-air TV for the first time?

Emma Zielke celebrates Brisbane’s win over Fremantle. Picture: Getty

What experience does the captain call on to prepare her side, not just for the undefeated Crows but also the occasion?

“We have got pretty much every captain in the QWAFL league in our team, our motto as a side is share the load, and that includes leadership,’’ she said.

“So while we all know it is our first time on an occasion like this, we can enjoy it, because we all help each other.’’

Sure some of the footballers, and Zielke is one of them, have played in the annual All-Stars match — so big crowds aren’t exactly new.

And most of them have played club football for many years and have been in a must-win game or two.

But this is different, which Zielke acknowledges.

Brisbane captain Emma Zielke wants every Lions player to share the leadership load in the top of the ladder clash against Adelaide. Picture: Annette Dew

The occasion is bigger than a local league game and the stakes are higher than the All-Star clash.

“At the end of the day we want the four points, but just because they have the status of being on top of the ladder and this is the biggest game of the competition so far, doesn’t mean we approach it differently,’’ she said.

“We know what’s at stake, if we win it sets us up really well for the next two weeks and the chance to finish top two.

“We know their strengths, we know who to keep an eye on, but we play our game and if we can play the footy we have for the past four weeks we give ourselves a chance.”

Originally published as Emma Zielke says Brisbane won’t change their approach to footy in top of ladder clash with Adelaide