AFLW Player Breanna Koenen (2016-) (Captain)

ZoBlitz · Jun 4, 2024

Trio of Lions Locked in until 2027

Brisbane Lions AFLW premiership captain Bre Koenen, vice-captain Nat Grider and two-time premiership player Orla O’Dwyer will all remain at the den until the end of the 2027 season.

The AFLW Grand Final best on ground, Koenen and All-Australians, Grider and O’Dwyer, all signed three contract extensions over the off-season.

After leading the Lions to their second premiership in three years, Koenen didn’t hesitate in sticking around.

“I’m really excited to be staying at the Club for the next four years and couldn’t think of anywhere else I'd want to play my footy,” she said.

“We’re in a really strong position, we’re hungry for more success and that’s something I definitely want to be a part of and continue to drive.

“We’ve built such a great culture amongst this group, driven by Bree (Brock) and Craig (Starcevich) and I’m looking forward to seeing how far this group can go.”

ZoBlitz · Jul 12, 2024

Koenen to Lead Lions in 2024

Premiership captain and AFLW Grand Final Best on Ground, Bre Koenen will once again lead the Lions ahead of their title defence in 2024.

Koenen will be supported by vice-captain, Natalie Grider and an unchanged leadership group, consisting of two All-Australian’s from last season, in Ally Anderson and Sophie Conway along with Lions 2023 Trademark player, Belle Dawes and two-time premiership winner, Cathy Svarc.

Koenen said she was looking forward to leading the Lions 2024 premiership campaign.

“I’m very pleased to be voted in for another season. It’s really reassuring to know your teammates think you are the right person for the job,” Koenen said.

“The same goes for our leadership group which has remained the same now for two consecutive seasons, we have a core group of really diverse leaders who complement each other well.

“It’s also really nice to see a lot of girls outside the leadership group put their hands up and take on more responsibility without a title.”

ZoBlitz · Jul 12, 2024

Koenen: “Everybody starts from the bottom again”

Bre Koenen chats with the media after the 2023 GF Best and Fairest was announced as captain for the Lions 2024 Season. The versatile defender understands a new season will bring new challenges and the team will need to put in maximum effort.

www.lions.com.au

ZoBlitz · Jul 12, 2024

Oh Captain My Captain | Bre Koenen

Premiership captain and AFLW Grand Final Best on Ground, Breanna Koenen will once again lead the Lions in 2024.

www.lions.com.au

ZoBlitz · Aug 29, 2024

Footy Feed: Lions’ quest to go back-to-back

Brisbane premiership captain Bre Koenen speaks to Sarah Black about the upcoming NAB AFLW season.

www.afl.com.au

ZoBlitz · Sep 13, 2024

Captain Koenen and Lions ready to be ‘the hunted’

Brisbane captain Bre Koenen chats with Sarah Black about the Lions’ preparation for another big season, and which player is ready to take the next step

www.afl.com.au

ZoBlitz · Nov 23, 2024

Five Lions named in AFLW All-Australian squad

The Brisbane Lions have had five players named in the 2024 AFLW All-Australian squad.

Captain Bre Koenen, Ally Anderson, and Sophie Conway along with first timers Belle Dawes and AFLW leading goalkicker, Taylor Smith have all been named.

Premiership captain and 2023 AFLW Grand Final Best on Ground winner, Bre Koenen returned to her primary position in defence this season and has been rewarded with her second All-Australian squad nomination.

Averaging 230 metres gained per game, Koenen has been a weapon for the Lions bouncing out of the back half along with being top five in league for intercept marks grabbing 2.4 per game.

ZoBlitz · Nov 30, 2024

Coaches and Captains Grand Final Press Conference

For Lions captain Breanna Koenen, who will play in her sixth AFLW Grand Final on Saturday, the ability to deal with that external noise has always been a skill.

"It's just whatever it is. We'll take it on board and we'll fly with it, and yeah, just happen to be the underdogs this year, rightfully so. Obviously, the Roos have had a fantastic season, they're undefeated, so they deserve to be the favourite, and we'll got into it no matter where we are," Koenen said.

Throughout the finals series Brisbane has trailed at half-time in every game, only to hit back after the main break to claim victory. It is built on a hardiness that it has gathered over its nine seasons.

"I think there's some decent resilience within the group to keep fighting, and that's something that our team's pretty proud of. We've got some fight and grit about us, although we didn't show it in round one. So that's sort of not us," Starcevich said.

"I think there's some confidence in preparation. The being there before type thing that you allude to is probably part of it, but there's some decent mental strength there as well, I think."