The GIANTS are delighted to announce three exciting additions to their AFLW program, with Emma Zielke, Shane Mumford, and Bec Privitelli joining Cam Bernasconi’s coaching group for the 2026 AFLW season.
An inaugural AFLW player and the premiership-winning captain of the Brisbane Lions’ AFLW side, Zielke joins the GIANTS as one of the most sought-after young coaches in the game after almost a decade at the Lions as both a player and coach.
Named the inaugural captain of Brisbane’s AFLW side in 2017, Zielke went on to captain the Lions to the 2021 AFLW Premiership before calling time on her illustrious playing career to get into coaching.
Highlighting her impact on women’s football, the best and fairest player in the QAFL Women’s competition was named the Emma Zielke Medal due to her work in pioneering women's football in Queensland.
Since retiring as a player, Zielke has since spent the last five seasons across different coaching roles with the Lions’ AFL and AFLW program and most recently as the Head Coach of both the Lions Female Academy and the Queensland U18 Female State Team.
The highly regarded former Lion will now swap the Sunshine State for Sydney to become a full-time AFLW Assistant Coach where she’ll look after the side’s forward line while also leading the GIANTS’ AFLW Development Program.
The former Lion is one of the club’s three Assistant Coaches for season 2026 alongside the incoming Mumford and the returning Micheal Horne.
No stranger to the GIANTS as a current coach within the AFL program -and a former beloved player and club champion - Mumford will continue to work as a Specialist Ruck Coach with the club’s AFL side while also taking on his new role as an Assistant Coach with the GIANTS’ AFLW program.
One of the club’s most popular figures, Mumford played seven seasons in orange and charcoal where his talents saw him claim the 2014 Kevin Sheedy Medal.
Regarded as one of the premiere ruckmen of the competition during his playing days, Mumford’s 216-game AFL career ended in 2021 before joining the GIANTS’ AFL coaching group in 2022.
Privitelli is the third newcomer to the club’s AFLW coaching group for 2026, with the former GIANT returning to the club as a Development Coach after recently calling time on a brilliant 48-game AFLW career.
Staring out at the Blues in 2017, Privitelli then went on to play 23 games for the GIANTS from 2018-2022 before spending the last four seasons at the Swans prior to her retirement at the end of last season.
Privitelli is a natural leader who will bring a wealth of experience to the club’s talented young list following her nine seasons as a player across three clubs.
Privitelli will work alongside Darren Ratten and Stephen Camp who will return in their roles as Development Coaches for the upcoming season.
GIANTS Executive General Manager of AFLW, Alison Zell, said it was fantastic to finalise the AFLW coaching group for 2026.
“It’s really exciting to welcome a few new faces into the program this year. Emma, Shane, and Bec each bring unique strengths and we’re thrilled to have them join our AFLW program for 2026,” she said.
“Emma is a proven leader and winner and a pioneer of women’s football. She comes to us not only with an amazing career as a premiership-winning captain, but with vast coaching experience with has seen her establish herself as one of the most highly regarded coaches in the industry.
“Emma is going to be a fantastic asset and we’re super excited to see the impact that she can have on both our young emerging talent as well as our more experienced players.
“Shane’s experience at the highest level, combined with his deep understanding of our club, makes him an incredibly valuable addition. He’s already had a strong impact within our AFL program, and we’re excited to see that influence extend into our AFLW side.
“Bec’s return to the club is really special. She understands what it means to be a GIANT and brings great leadership and playing experience that will be invaluable for our younger players.
“We’re confident that this coaching group strikes a great balance of experience, knowledge and fresh perspective and sets us up strongly as we continue to build and grow our AFLW program under Cam’s leadership.
“These appointments reflect our commitment to investing in the right people to help drive sustained success.”
The GIANTS will officially begin their AFLW pre-season in May before the season gets under way in August.
