Brisbane Lions captain and dual premiership player Breanna Koenen has been called up to represent Australia in the sold-out 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match at North Sydney Oval on Saturday, 1 August.
Koenen replaces North Melbourne veteran and fellow premiership captain Emma Kearney in the 25-player squad after Kearney was ruled out of the historic clash with a hamstring injury.
The 103-game Lion was recently appointed club captain for a sixth consecutive season and was named best on ground in Brisbane’s 2023 AFLW premiership win over Kearney's Kangaroos.
Australian senior coach Darren Crocker said:
“We’re all disappointed for Kearns. She was very excited about the opportunity to represent Australia and, unfortunately, injury means she won’t be able to take her place in the side.
“Kearns has been a fantastic contributor to AFLW since the competition’s inception, and we wish her the best with her recovery.
“At the same time, we’re thrilled to bring Bre into the squad. She’s a respected leader and someone who knows how to perform on the biggest stage.
“We can’t wait to see her and the rest of the squad pull on the Australian guernsey.”
The 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match will be played under Australian Football rules, using a classic Sherrin football, and marks the first AFLW representative fixture since the one-off contest between Victoria and the Allies in 2017.
Starting at 4.15pm AEST, the match will be broadcast live nationally on Fox Footy, Kayo Sports, Kayo Freebies and Binge.
It will bring together some of the competition’s biggest stars and emerging talent, celebrating the continued growth of women’s football and the strong connection between AFLW and Ireland.
Koenen will be one of three Lions to represent Australia, joining premiership teammates Courtney Hodder and Sophie Conway. Among the other stars named to represent Australia are North Melbourne’s Ash Riddell and Jasmine Garner, Melbourne’s Kate Hore and Richmond’s Monique Conti, as well as young guns Georgie Prespakis (Geelong Cats), Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide) and Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans).
For more information about the 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match, or to join the Ticketmaster waitlist should any additional tickets become available, visit AUSVIRL.AFL
