TonyK
CibbuanoCooney wins Brownlow
September 22nd 2008 22:07
WESTERN BULLDOGS midfielder Adam Cooney has become the first number one draft pick ever to win the Brownlow Medal after narrowly beating Brisbane midfielder Simon Black, hot favourite Gary Ablett Jnr and Richmond veteran Matthew Richardson in a thrilling count on Monday night.
Cooney, the number one pick in the 2003 national draft, polled 24 votes to beat Black by one vote with Ablett and Richardson a further vote back on 22 votes.
Black led for most of the count with Cooney not snatching the lead until he polled three votes in round 21 after gathering 28 disposals against Essendon.
However the votes dried up for Black in the second half of the season, with the 2002 Brownlow medallist not polling again after collecting three in the round 16 win over West Coast.
Black held a four vote lead at that stage and was four votes clear with just three rounds remaining.
Richardson got within one vote of Black when he polled three votes in round 20 against Hawthorn but failed to poll in the last two games while Ablett paid the price for missing four games through injury.
The 22-year-old said the win was unexpected.
"I haven't really prepared anything because I wasn't expecting this," Cooney said upon accepting his medal.
"I didn't really give myself any chance at all."
Cooney admitted he wasn’t in the best shape when he first arrived at the club.
"I wasn't in the best shape when I first came over - my skin folds nearly topped 100 which is reasonably large for a young lad - so I had a little bit of work to do and my fitness wasn't up to standard."
"I wasn't strong enough either and I didn't think it (playing in the AFL) was as hard as it was I suppose."
Cooney suffered from osteitis pubis which affected his 2007 season but has benefited from getting a full pre-season under his belt this year.
"It was probably my first pre-season since my first year I got to the club (ahead of the 2004 season) and that has made a massive difference," he said.
Cooney, the number one pick in the 2003 national draft, polled 24 votes to beat Black by one vote with Ablett and Richardson a further vote back on 22 votes.
Black led for most of the count with Cooney not snatching the lead until he polled three votes in round 21 after gathering 28 disposals against Essendon.
However the votes dried up for Black in the second half of the season, with the 2002 Brownlow medallist not polling again after collecting three in the round 16 win over West Coast.
Black held a four vote lead at that stage and was four votes clear with just three rounds remaining.
Richardson got within one vote of Black when he polled three votes in round 20 against Hawthorn but failed to poll in the last two games while Ablett paid the price for missing four games through injury.
The 22-year-old said the win was unexpected.
"I haven't really prepared anything because I wasn't expecting this," Cooney said upon accepting his medal.
"I didn't really give myself any chance at all."
Cooney admitted he wasn’t in the best shape when he first arrived at the club.
"I wasn't in the best shape when I first came over - my skin folds nearly topped 100 which is reasonably large for a young lad - so I had a little bit of work to do and my fitness wasn't up to standard."
"I wasn't strong enough either and I didn't think it (playing in the AFL) was as hard as it was I suppose."
Cooney suffered from osteitis pubis which affected his 2007 season but has benefited from getting a full pre-season under his belt this year.
"It was probably my first pre-season since my first year I got to the club (ahead of the 2004 season) and that has made a massive difference," he said.
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