Breanna Koenen will again lead the Brisbane Lions AFLW side after being voted Captain for Season Seven.
The 27-year-old retained the captaincy with the playing group backing the Magnetic Island local to guide them forward, with support of Season 6 All-Australian defender Nat Grider as Vice-Captain.
Koenen said she learnt plenty from her first stint as skipper and is confident she can be an even strong leader this season.
“I pride myself on being a leader that leads by example on and off the field. I want to be a leader that inspires others to be leaders,” she explained.
“It was a hectic season personally,with all the schedule changes. I think the biggest thing I learnt was to delegate and share the load.
“The support from my teammates means everything to me, so it gives me a lot of confidence in my ability that I am the right person for the job.
“We have an experienced program supported by excellent staff and players so I am excited to see what we can do this year.”
Lions AFLW Head Coach Craig Starcevich said he believed Koenen warranted another season as skipper and was confident she would further develop her leadership in Season Seven.
The Premiership Coach spoke highly of the defender as a player and person.
“Bre got the nod last year as Captain for the way she leads on field but also the empathy she has for people off field,” Starcevich acknowledged.
“Off field people probably don’t see the connection she has with the other players. So the challenge she has now is not to spread herself too thin by trying to be everything to everyone, that’s just in her nature.
“She is a selfless player on field. There are games where she had a massive influence offensively and defensively, and where she had a specific role to play and was happy to give herself up for team cause.”
Starcevich also strongly endorsed Nat Grider as a Vice Captain after a breakout year in 2021 which saw her win the Brisbane Lions AFLW All For One Award for demonstrating the Club Values of High Performance, Cutting Edge, Care and Connected.
“I think Natalie has leadership in her DNA, it is pretty natural for her,” he said.
“She is a young aggressive player with a few rough edges that need ironing out, but in main, she is pretty mature for her age and has started to play at high level and also has strong connections off field with the group.
“Her personality leads to these types of positions even though she is only 22.”
