Bre Koenen is a Brisbane Lions AFLW foundation player, premiership captain and best and fairest winner – on Grand Final day, no less. But before any of that, she was just a kid growing up on Magnetic Island with her family.
Ask her Mum and number 1 fan, Teri, and you’ll learn that even from those early days, there was a pattern repeating itself in the small, everyday moments.
“Bre being the firstborn... she would be wanting to do everything, wanting to run everywhere,” Teri says. Back then it wasn’t labelled as leadership. It was just Bre’s natural ability to take the lead consistently.
Growing up on the island
On the island, days mimicked the same beat. “They’d be out at first light, back home for lunch, then they’d be out again,” Teri remembers. It was a childhood spent outside, with four siblings close in age and not much separating play from competition.
With that many kids, everything had the potential to turn competitive. Backyard games, board games – it didn’t really matter. Everything became an opportunity to win. “I think growing up on the island, they were always very competitive,” Teri says. “There were too many fights.”
But even in that, Bre stood out – not only for her wanting to win, but for the way she brought people together. “She always had [her sister] Cara’s hand and was going ‘Come on, let’s do this,’” Teri says. “You’d look up, and she would’ve already taken off, and rarely on her own.”
Always in motion
As the family grew, so did Bre’s instinct to take charge. “She was very much a leader – even as a baby,” Teri says. “She’d be coaxing the kids to play a game in the backyard or to kick the football or to play cricket.”
From Bre’s side, it all felt pretty straightforward. “Everything, no matter if it [should or] shouldn’t be a competition, would be a competition,” she says. It was almost her default – she didn’t know how to be any other way.
What she did know, though, was movement. Being active, being busy and always doing something – preferably with other people. It’s something she says hasn’t changed to this day. “Yeah, my teammates will definitely attest to that.”
For Teri, that constant pull towards action and the way Bre instinctively brought others along with her felt like the early signs of something bigger.
Ferry rides to footy
Footy came into the picture when Bre was in grade one, and from there, weekends took on a new routine – ferry trips back and forth to Townsville chasing junior games. “It was brilliant,” Teri says. “The ferries sponsored the kids going backwards and forwards.”
For Bre, it folded straight into the life she already knew and loved – movement, competition, and being around people. “[It was] a lot of fun… running around after school with your mates,” Bre says.
She approached football the same way she approached everything – fully, and without hesitation. “I loved being challenged, even as a kid. Just being able to pick up new skills and try to learn new things,” Bre says.
Getting noticed by the opposition
There was no question Bre had sporting ability – that was noticed early. “She was definitely athletic, and she loved to run,” Teri recalls. “She worked really hard at developing those skills.”
But it wasn’t just her natural talent carrying her through. Coaches began adding constraints – small ways to force growth, and to make the games harder. “We’re doing quite well in this game, so for this quarter you’ve only got to kick on your left [foot],” Bre remembers being told.
Of course, she adapted and kept finding her way. And then there was a game against Hermit Park. Bre was the only girl on the field. By halftime, the message from the opposition coach – known as ‘Mad Dog’ – was clear. He had one instruction for his team: “I don’t care what you do. Just stop Bre.”
More than the on-field plays
As the level lifted, more people started to notice what Bre could do on the field. But for Teri, that was never the full picture. “Bre’s my star because she has always not only cared about her game… but her teammates,” she says.
It’s the part that doesn’t always get called out first – the attention Bre pays to everyone else. “She cares about where everybody is, and if they’re okay.” It shows up in ways that don’t always make headlines. “Leaving little notes, buying little presents, taking people for coffee,” Teri says.
Learning her leadership style
Leadership had always come naturally to Bre – oldest of four, captain at school, and the one organising everyone. But stepping into leadership at the elite level – as captain for the Brisbane Lions – asked something entirely different. “It helped Bre mature... wanting to learn and do better,” Teri says.
With that came pressure – and a period of figuring out what kind of leader she wanted to be. “I had really strong leaders around me, which was fantastic,” Bre says. “But I tried to be too much like them and wasn’t my genuine, authentic self.”
Finding her own leadership style took time – something Bre admits she’s still working through. But the instinct to grow, learn and evolve never wavered. “I’ve been very, very fortunate... across my whole career,” she says. “Great leaders... teachers... Mum and Dad... it all overlaps so much.”
Why Teri is Bre’s number 1 fan
For Teri, being Bre’s number 1 fan covers everything she’s seen forming over time – from those early days on the island to the Brisbane Lions captaincy today. “I’ve always been Bre’s number 1 fan… because I just love her so much,” she says.
But it goes deeper than that. It’s what she’s watched up close – the way Bre has carried those same instincts forward. The drive, the care, and the way she brings people with her. “I just admire [her] ability… to create an environment that not only lets [her] achieve these things but also paves the path for other people to come along with [her],” she says.
That’s the throughline for Teri. Not just what Bre has done, but who she has been the whole time – the same kid who started the games, and pulled others in. Just now, there are a lot more people following.
