WESTERN Bulldogs captain Brad Johnson believes Adam Cooney's Brownlow Medal triumph is a reward for how much his teammate has grown as a player and a person in recent years.

Johnson said Cooney, 22, who claimed the League's prestigious prize from Brisbane Lion Simon Black on Monday night, has changed immensely since first arriving at Whitten Oval in 2003.

"It's a testament to how much he's matured," Johnson told afl.com.au after the count.

"He really has kept standing up as an individual around the club, and it's just great to get that recognition for him.

"Everyone changes over the years, without a doubt, but he's certainly changed for the better.

"It's just awesome. It's just fantastic for Adam and everyone is so excited.

"All the boys are rushing in now to celebrate with him."

Johnson added that Cooney's determination was obvious when playing through the pain of a knee injury over the last four weeks.

"It's a testament to his courage and his character to fight through things, and you can certainly take a lot of things away from guys who can do that and not let it affect their performance too much," he said.

"It's certainly a credit to him."

Johnson said he was thrilled to watch the count draw to a close, as Cooney jostled for top spot in the final four rounds with Black, Geelong's Gary Ablett and Richmond's Matthew Richardson.

"I was reading the boards and reading the form, and we knew he might be able to pinch a few at the end," he said.

"We thought Mitch Hahn would have got the three because he kicked six, and when he got the two, we thought 'Here we go'.

"But it was just amazing."

Cooney's success wasn't a total surprise for Johnson, who admitted he had a good feeling about his teammate's chances ahead of the evening.

He led the Bulldogs in disposals for the season after playing every game, and enjoyed his own ascension as the side won 13 of its first 15 games.

"I rated him very high. His first half of the year, where he polled most of his votes, we knew he would get votes there," he said.

"He just needed to string a couple together there late and he did, so it was very exciting and very nerve-wracking."

Johnson also believes that Cooney has plenty of good years ahead of him.

"He can get a lot better, that's for sure," he said.

"Every player strives to keep improving and he'll be no different. With a bit of luck, he'll just improve and take us further and further."