Adam Cooney

Recruited from West Adelaide with the number one selection in the 2003 National Draft, Adam Cooney arrived at the Western Bulldogs with immense expectations and quickly established himself as a dynamic, goal-kicking midfielder. At his peak, Cooney possessed rare explosive pace and the ability to break lines through the corridor, traits that culminated in his stellar 2008 season where he became the first ever number one draft pick to win the Brownlow Medal. During this period, he was an All-Australian and a central figure in the Bulldogs' consecutive preliminary final appearances, renowned for his capacity to drift forward and hit the scoreboard.

Cooney's career narrative shifted significantly following his Brownlow triumph, as a degenerative knee injury began to severely hamper his trademark acceleration. Forced to reinvent himself from a burst runner into a craftier, often forward-deployed distributor, he remained a servant of the club until the end of 2014. Seeking a fresh environment and allowing the Bulldogs to pursue a youth-focused rebuild, he was traded to Essendon, where he spent two seasons providing experience to a depleted list. He retired in 2016 after reaching the 250-game milestone, remembered as a sublimely talented player whose absolute prime was shortened by injury.