Siblings Noah and Logan Braun have capped off successful football seasons with best-and-fairest awards at their respective WAFL clubs, continuing a family football tradition shaped by their father, former West Coast Eagles midfielder Michael Braun.
Noah claimed Claremont’s Colts Nat Fyfe best-and-fairest award after overcoming setbacks in representative selection, while younger sister Logan won Subiaco’s Pia Faletti Medal in her first Rogers Cup season.
Their achievements followed different paths, but both were shaped by persistence, hard work and family support.
Michael said both results caught him off guard.
“I thought that Noah had a good year in 2026,” he said.
“I thought he might have finished third or second, but not actually win it.”
Logan’s award was similarly unexpected.
Michael had noticed her consistency throughout the season, particularly in the final five rounds, when she collected several best-on-ground votes.
For the siblings, the awards marked a milestone in football journeys that began long before either was recognised at that level.
Noah began playing Auskick at North Beach when he was four.
His parents had enrolled him early to burn off his seemingly endless energy, but the game soon became much more than an outlet.
“As I got older, I loved the team aspect and competing to win, which is why I decided I wanted to pursue it as a career,” Noah said.
Logan developed an interest in football watching her older brother play.
After years watching from the sidelines, she began playing at North Beach in Year 9.
“Watching Noah play, and growing up with it on weekends, that really made me want to pursue my football,” she said.
Despite growing up in the same football family, the siblings have developed their own strengths.
Michael describes Noah as a hard worker who covers the ground from goal line to goal line, with a particularly strong kick.
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Logan, on the other hand, stands out for her speed and ability to hit the scoreboard.
Overcoming setbacks
But their paths have not always been straightforward.
For Noah, one of the biggest challenges was repeatedly missing out on state selection.
After failing to make the state teams he had targeted, including the initial Under-18 squad, he said he was devastated.
“My goal was to make the 18s squad. When I was left out, I was devastated,” he said.
Rather than allowing the disappointment to derail his season, he focused on what he could control.
“My dad told me to block it out and work on what I could control, which was training hard and stringing some good games together, and let that do the talking,” Noah said.
He approached his Claremont coach ahead of the 2026 season and asked about moving from the wing into the midfield, hoping to give himself an opportunity to make a greater impact.
“They backed me, and I never looked back,” he said.
His improved performances eventually earned him a late call-up to the state squad.
He returned to Claremont with renewed confidence, producing a strong second half of the season that culminated in his best-and-fairest win.
Michael said the experience was a “real big learning curve” for Noah, who had to remain focused and keep working hard despite initially missing selection.
“I had to work really hard with him to try and stay focused and keep working hard and not let him get disappointed with the outcome,” Michael said.
“He did that exceptionally well.”
Logan faced a different challenge.
Two years ago, she trained for Rogers Cup but quit after a month of pre-season, finding the schedule too demanding and preferring to spend more time with friends.
The following year, she reconsidered.
With encouragement from her family and a better understanding of the commitment required, she decided she was ready to take the next step.
“I realised that I wanted to step up and better myself, and I was ready to put in the hard work and what was required,” Logan said.
At just 16, Logan was competing against players aged 17 and 18.
Winning the Rogers Cup best and fairest in her first season at the level was not something she had set out expecting.
“Winning the best and fairest at Rogers was like a big surprise, and I did not expect it at all,” she said.
“With it being my first year, it wasn’t a goal of mine. So, to win it has given me even more confidence in my ability and motivated me to do better next year.”
A family affair
The siblings’ relationship has also shaped their development.
Noah said Logan had always supported him by watching his games, and he encouraged her to prioritise training over socialising when she first stepped up to Rogers Cup.
“I would tell her she needs to put training before her friends,” Noah said.
“She eventually realised I was right and chose footy over mates.”
Now, they regularly kick the football together and offer each other feedback after games.
Logan added, “Noah has helped me with my kicking skills and shown me good techniques.”
For Noah, the support goes both ways.
Their competitive nature pushes them to keep improving, with each using the other’s success as motivation.
“We’re very competitive people, so that really just motivates us both,” Logan said.
“When one of us does well, the other tries to match it.”
Their father’s AFL experience has also influenced their development.
For Noah, being mentored by his dad meant more than kicking and handballing; it was also understanding how to approach football professionally and how to recover when a game starts poorly.
Michael still watches their coaches and offers feedback when asked, admitting he can be a tough critic because he wants them to keep improving.
But he does not expect either child to follow his path into the AFL.
“I just want the kids to do their best,” he said.
“If one of them or both of them reach the pinnacle of the sport, I’d be proud as punch, but I don’t put too much pressure on them to take that next step into the AFL.”
For Noah, the next step is earning a place on an AFL list.
Logan hopes to test herself against the best players in her age group and working towards a future in the West Australian Football League women’s team.
Their best-and-fairest awards mark significant milestones, but neither sibling sees them as the end of the journey.
For Michael, their achievements matter less than the effort they put in.
“I just want the kids to do their best,” he said.
Now, with individual accolades behind them and bigger ambitions ahead, the Braun siblings are finding out just how far their own football journeys can take them.
Ava Tavolaro
Ava Tavolaro - a journalism and broadcast media student with a passion for sports media.
