Quick Facts
Biography
Adam Cooney (born 30 September 1985) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs and Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He won the Brownlow Medal in 2008, with 24 votes becoming the tenth Western Bulldogs player to win the award.
Early life
Cooney attended Flagstaff Hill R-7 Schools, Blackwood High School and later Aberfoyle Park High School and played for the Flagstaff Hill Football Club.
AFL career
Cooney was recruited from West Adelaide in the SANFL to the Western Bulldogs with the number one pick in the 2003 National Draft as a priority pick. He is a pacey player who can kick goals on the run from outside the 50-metre arc as well as snap kicks near the goal posts. He had a vastly improved 2005 season: he played every game, averaged 20 possessions a game and kicked 21 goals. He was ranked second for clearances in the Bulldogs team.
Cooney progressed to the elite of the competition, four seasons after being selected as the number one draft pick. His threat as a goalkicking midfielder grew as he pushed into the upper bracket of ball winners, while maintaining his average of more than a goal per game and also directly assisting in many scores.
Cooney was rewarded for a strong 2008 season by winning the Brownlow Medal. He polled 24 votes, beating Brisbane Lions midfielder Simon Black by one vote. Cooney is the first No. 1 draft pick (and the first player taken as a priority draft pick) to win the award.
In 2009, he featured in the official advertisement for the AFL, brushing off tacklers including a bull in a bullfighting ring.
In October 2014, Cooney was traded to Essendon.
In August 2016, Cooney announced he would retire after the round 22 match against Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.
Personal life
On 24 October 2009, Cooney married Haylea McCann. He proposed to her with a burger ring.
Statistics
| Legend | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles |
| Season | Team | # | Games | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 119 | 105 | 224 | 44 | 30 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 6.3 | 5.5 | 11.8 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| 2005 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 22 | 21 | 13 | 236 | 198 | 434 | 93 | 56 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 10.7 | 9.0 | 19.7 | 4.2 | 2.5 |
| 2006 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 24 | 30 | 19 | 242 | 216 | 458 | 128 | 60 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 10.1 | 9.0 | 19.1 | 5.3 | 2.5 |
| 2007 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 22 | 28 | 21 | 262 | 207 | 469 | 112 | 79 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 11.9 | 9.4 | 21.3 | 5.1 | 3.6 |
| 2008 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 25 | 23 | 6 | 311 | 326 | 637 | 98 | 65 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 12.4 | 13.0 | 25.5 | 3.9 | 2.6 |
| 2009 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 23 | 14 | 15 | 277 | 340 | 617 | 81 | 58 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 12.0 | 14.8 | 26.8 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| 2010 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 20 | 9 | 12 | 263 | 252 | 515 | 79 | 60 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 13.2 | 12.6 | 25.8 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| 2011 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 156 | 129 | 285 | 38 | 40 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 12.0 | 9.9 | 21.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| 2012 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 162 | 131 | 293 | 38 | 37 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 11.6 | 9.4 | 20.9 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| 2013 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 19 | 19 | 11 | 264 | 221 | 485 | 82 | 44 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 13.9 | 11.6 | 25.5 | 4.3 | 2.3 |
| 2014 | Western Bulldogs | 17 | 18 | 13 | 6 | 190 | 164 | 354 | 67 | 59 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 10.6 | 9.1 | 19.7 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
| 2015 | Essendon | 13 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 123 | 64 | 187 | 33 | 25 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 11.2 | 5.8 | 17.0 | 3.0 | 2.3 |
| 2016 | Essendon | 17 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 259 | 198 | 457 | 116 | 57 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 13.0 | 9.9 | 22.8 | 5.8 | 2.8 |
| Career | 250 | 202 | 147 | 2864 | 2551 | 5415 | 1009 | 670 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 11.5 | 10.2 | 21.7 | 4.0 | 2.7 | ||
Honours and achievements
| Brownlow Medal votes | |
| Season | Votes |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 |
| 2005 | 12 |
| 2006 | 4 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 24 |
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 8 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2015 | - |
| 2016 | - |
| Total | 83 |
| Key: | |
| Green / Bold = Won | |
- Individual
- Brownlow Medal: 2008
- All-Australian Team: 2008
- Dream Team Representative Honours in AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match: 2008
- AFL Rising Star Nominee: 2004 (Round 21)
- Number 1 AFL Draft Pick: 2003