THE Western Bulldogs' Adam Cooney swooped late to win the Brownlow Medal last night, beating by a vote Brisbane's Simon Black, a former winner who was runner-up for the second year in a row. Equal third, a further vote behind, were Geelong's Gary Ablett, who seems cast in the role of eternal bridesmaid, and Richmond's Matthew Richardson, the night's overwhelming sentimental favourite.

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Cooney, 23 next week, became the first No. 1 draft pick to win the medal, the 10th Footscray or Western Bulldogs player and the first since Scott Wynd in 1992. He was an unaffected champion, speaking openly of how the death of two teammates while he was a junior in Adelaide had driven him, and revealing that he had presented his fiance, Haylea, with a Burger ring when proposing. She accepted.

Haylea (pictured) has a child from a previous relationship, who has cerebral palsy, and who Cooney said had helped to widen his eyes about the world. Cooney thanked Haylea — "you're my fiancee now, aren't you?" — and his mother. "I passed year 11, thanks to my mum," he said. "She did most of my homework for me."

Cooney, with his short-cropped red hair and open face, personifies the new Bulldogs. He admitted that he settled slowly into league football after being drafted in 2003, when neither he nor his skinfolds were taut enough for league football. But he came into his own this year.

Two votes against Brisbane in round 20 and three against Essendon in round 21 eased him past Black, who had blitzed in the first half of the season, polling 20 votes in its first half. Ablett and Cooney sat one vote behind, as did dual medallist Adam Goodes, who was ineligible. Conversely, Luke Hodge polled one vote in the first 11 rounds, Jimmy Bartel three — all in one game — Nick Riewoldt three, Brent Harvey six and Chris Judd seven. These were deficits they could not make up.

Brownlow night remains the AFL's grand gala, a night of hubris, heroes, hair-dos and harlequins, a night of role-playing. On the red carpet, Rebecca Twigley rather than Judd was asked if she was feeling the pressure. "No," she replied. She could and should have added: "This is what we play for." Ablett admitted that he was "a bit nervous", but intended to "try to enjoy the night". He might and will say the same about Saturday's grand final.

Bartel said it was only last night, back in the same place and time, that the reality of his triumph last year finally sank in.

Asked what he expected, he said: "Pretty much the same thing." From another, it would have sounded like arrogance; from Bartel, you knew that he meant he had come with as many expectations this year as last, which is to say, as few. Inevitably, the winner would be said to be celebrating all his birthdays come at once.

And so it went on, a designer occasion, a designer setting, a winner from central casting. Allowing the grand final day is Melbourne Cup day, Brownlow night is the Oaks, the Cox Plate and Emirates rolled into one.

Last night featured a moving tribute to Robert Harvey, always shy, now retiring, after 21 seasons and 383 games. "Training form's playing form," said Harvey. "Always has been, always will be."

The night wasn't without its awkward moments. AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou transposed votes for the first two rounds, confusing all. Famously maladroit former chief Wayne Jackson stumbled over only one player's name at a time, not hundreds of them.

But surely the greatest relief on the night was surely that KPMG ferried in the votes. Evidently, it is one of few financial houses in the world just now still able to deliver.