BRE Koenen has had just about everything thrown at her during her first season as Brisbane skipper.

To start with, she was on a hiding to nothing, taking over a premiership-winning team from Lions champion Emma Zielke.

But that would prove to be the easy part.

Koenen has been with the Lions since day one, played in their first game against Melbourne in 2017, watched a handful of players leave during expansion, moved into the leadership group, and eventually became an integral part of the competition's best backline on the way to a flag.

But the 27-year-old said this season has taken the cake.

After a first-up loss to Grand Final foes Adelaide, Brisbane was thrown into early-season COVID turmoil, with the virus running through the team and forcing them into a 16-day break between games one and two.

By the time they played Carlton, a few teams already had three wins on the board.

The defending champions were off the pace before they'd even started.

Brisbane had to jam games in a short space of time to play catch-up, which it did, until a late-season trip to Perth bought another obstacle.

This one would affect the team, and Koenen personally.

"Yeah, the floods. I lost a lot of my belongings and furniture, but they're all just things," Koenen told womens.afl.

"It was losing my (rental) home and being comfortable with everything that really hurt.

"I'm incredibly lucky. I have my partner, my team, the club, work, they all supported me.

"I don't know what I would have done without everyone. I feel very grateful."

Koenen, like (assistant coach) Zielke and Emily Bates, returned from thumping West Coast to homes that had been inundated with floodwater as Brisbane was hammered by a three-day deluge.

While they were away playing footy, carnage was happening on the home front they could do nothing about.

The 27-year-old is now in "temporary accommodation" until season's end when she will figure out her next move.

"This year with COVID at the start of the year, the floods, all the travel and last-minute changes, it's been a more hectic season than I've ever played," Koenen said.

"It's been super challenging, but I've really enjoyed leading the girls out every week.

"To be honest I talk to Craig (Starcevich) a lot, I talk to Zilks a lot and even my peers, the leadership group, I really lean on. I'm still learning and wanting to improve.

"I'm probably one to take on too much and try and help too many people, take on more than what I can handle at times, so learning to delegate and lean on others and ask for help has been a huge learning curve."

Koenen is unquestionably one of Brisbane's most reliable players, rarely beaten in the defensive 50 and always with a cool head under pressure.

She will join teammates Bates and Ally Anderson on Sunday when she runs out against Collingwood for her 50th game in Lions colours.

"I feel a lot of responsibility because I care so much about my teammates and the club, I just don't want to let anybody down.

"It's so special and I'm so honoured to be one of the first few to reach that milestone and to inspire others … it's incredibly special.

"If you told me six years ago I'd be playing my 50th game for the Brisbane Lions as captain I would have laughed at you.

"I've been pretty happy with my career thus far. Hopefully there's another 50 games to come.

"Hopefully a few more this season because I'm not ready to stop playing yet."

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