Following the announcement of Bre Koenen and Nat Grider as captain and vice-captain yesterday, the Lions are excited to announce four players into the broader leadership group for 2023.

Reigning league medallist Ally Anderson, who was part of the leadership group in 2022, will be joined by Cathy Svarc and Sophie Conway who are returning members of quartet from 2021.

Belle Dawes has been named among the leaders for the first time in her career as she enters her fourth year with the Club.

Dawes said she was over the moon to be viewed as a leader by her peers.

“I feel very honoured to be honest, knowing that girls have voted me in,” Dawes said.

“I’ve put my hand up for the last three years and I’ve been close Craig has told me.

“When he told me this year I jumped up and down in his office.

“I didn’t have any doubt that Bre and Nat would be voted in again, they were so good in those roles last season.

“Ally (Anderson), Cathy (Svarc) and Soph (Conway), I’ve spent a lot of time with them in the midfield and they are leaders on and off the field.

“Everyone in the leadership group are really great people who are always looking to grow and be better.

As someone who is new to the leadership group, Dawes said she will not shy away from remaining the energiser bunny of the team.

“For me the girls know that I bring a lot of energy to the group,” she said.

“The whole group knows how passionate I am about this team and the club which is something I want to bring to my leadership.

“For them to see me as a leader is really awesome and I’m looking forward to what we can do this year.”

Brisbane Lions AFLW coach Craig Starcevich announced the news to the players and was excited by the diversity of the leadership group.

“We are delighted that we have a cross-section of age and experience,” he said.

“It is a nice representation of the whole group through these six people.

“The leadership group that has been assembled, we feel, are great custodians of our values.”