Brisbane Lions skipper Breanna Koenen’s unique journey from Magnetic Island Magpies to AFLW champion

Brisbane Lions captain Breanna Koenen’s journey from the Magnetic Island Magpies to best on ground in the AFLW grand final is a quintessential example of North Queenslanders’ resilience and dedication. Read about her unique journey.

Breanna Koenen poses with the best on ground medal following the AFLW Grand Final match between North Melbourne Tasmania Kangaroos and Brisbane Lions at Ikon Park, on December 03, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos)

Brisbane Lions captain Breanna Koenen’s journey to the AFLW is a quintessential example of North Queenslanders’ resilience and dedication.

The 2023 grand final’s best on ground spent her early days in Aussie rules football mixing it with the boys in AFL Townsville’s smallest club, the Magnetic Island Magpies.

The tiny footy club based in the tropical paradise of Horseshoe Bay has long been the minnow of the local junior leagues, but it can claim to be the nursery of a true champion of the women’s game.

Koenen said she cherished her memories of kicking balls and eating meat pies with her Magpies teammates.

“It was definitely different. I obviously didn’t play in any women’s comps while I was in Townsville, because they didn’t exist when I was growing up,” Koenen said.

Breanna Koenen excelled at footy from a young age, claiming the Queensland Women in sport rising star award in 2011. Picture: contributed.

“I got to play mixed football with all my school friends, and junior footy with the boys up until I was about 13. It definitely taught me a lot, and I obviously loved it, so just stuck with it until I couldn’t play with the Magnetic Island Magpies boys anymore.

“It’s such a tight-knit community on the island, just knowing everyone and spending those weekends together catching the ferry to town to play games.

“I just love community football. All the little things, the meat pies after the game, all those sorts of things of classic football on the weekend.

“More than anything I just enjoyed spending time with my mates, and getting to play footy with them.”

Craig Starcevich and Breanna Koenen hold up the premiership cup following the 2023 AFLW Grand Final. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Koenen comes from an athletically gifted family with three siblings excelling in their chosen sports – but all four Koenen kids began their careers with the Magnetic Island Magpies.

A broken collarbone following a brutal tackle convinced little sister Cara Koenen that football wasn’t for her, and she is now a professional netballer with the Sunshine Coast Lightning, while Alyssa Koenen pursued surf life saving.

In her adolescent years Koenen would commute into Townsville for high school at The Cathedral School, training with the Hermit Park Tigers men and driving to Cairns each weekend during year 11 and 12 to play with the North Cairns Tigers women.

The girls are pumped for the start of the Townsville AFL girls comp starting in 2013. (front L-R) Christine Cocker (Lions) and Rachel Simmons (Bulldogs) with at rear (L) Breanna Koenen (Lions) and (R) Kath Newman (Regional Manage AFL QLD).

She said that allowed her to hit the ground running when she moved south to continue her footballing journey.

“When I moved down here it was 2014 and there was no sight or dream of a women’s competition at that stage,” Koenen said.

“I was lucky enough to be able to play for University of Queensland and had really good, supportive coaches along the way that sort of kept my footy journey ticking along.

“I just enjoyed playing club footy for that period of time and studying alongside it, and then at the end of 2016 there was a lot of chat around bringing in a women’s competition in 2020 and then obviously that got all pushed forwards to 2017 so it was all a bit of a whirlwind, and pretty exciting.

“I got picked up at number 50 in the first AFLW draft, which was awesome. That first year was just a whirlwind, everything happened so quickly and there was so much hype around it.”

Breanna Koenen of the Brisbane Lions poses during the AFL Womens league Headshot session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia on November 11, 2016. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media)

Since her Lions debut in the club’s inaugural match, Koenen has made 77 AFLW appearances and won two premierships – including being named best on ground in last year’s 7.2 (44) to 4.3 (27) triumph over the Kangaroos.

This will be Koenen’s eight year and ninth AFLW season and she said competition for spots was rapidly heating up.

“This pre-season has definitely been challenging. It’s always hard, particularly because we’ve got a really competitive group this year,” she said.

“Everybody’s pushing for spots. It’s been really good but I’m definitely keen to start playing – I’m over the pre-season grind and I just want to play some footy now.”

Breanna Koenen of the Lions poses during the Brisbane Lions AFLW 2024 Official Team Photo Day at Brighton Homes Arena on July 08, 2024 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos)

Her advice to the rising junior stars of girls’ football in Townsville was to be consistent and dedicated to the sport and to make the most of growing opportunities.

“It’s achievable now. They’ve got that pathway, there’s role models out there, there’s people that have done it before, and I’m pretty proud to say that I’m one of those that have lived that pathway,” Koenen said.

“Now that they’ve got an opportunity from junior football all the way through to the senior female league up there now.

“It’s pretty exciting for women’s football in general, so just keep playing is my best advice.”

The Lions launch their 2024 season with a grand final rematch against North Melbourne on Sunday, September 1, at Brighton Homes Arena in Ipswich. Kick-off is at 3.05pm.

Originally published as Brisbane Lions skipper Breanna Koenen’s unique journey from Magnetic Island Magpies to AFLW champion