Football season’s best says it’s all for the team, as Roo David Cowan lifts awards

A major and minor premiership, the grand final’s best player and the season’s best and fairest, Boyup Brook’s David Cowan might need a bigger trophy cabinet. But the 2024 season’s best player said he doesn’t take to the field each week for the accolades. Instead, he does it for his team. “I’m not that big on individual awards,” Cowan said. “I felt more happy just to win the premiership, because to win that (Harvey Gibblett best on ground) award, it doesn’t just take myself. “Without my teammates, it wouldn’t happen and they make it a lot easier on me as well.” Cowan said after a hard-fought season, lifting the trophy after a 17-point win over Kojonup had him breathing a sigh of relief. “You see all 25 to 26 players that have played in the league team, from the preseason and getting through the whole year to that final moment — it’s hard too explain but (I’m) proud,” he said. “Against Kojonup, they’ve been the benchmark for the last two seasons. You always know when you’re playing against them, it’s going to be a hard game, but they never let you easily beat them.” Cowan told the Times his season highlight was securing top ladder spot, helping them make the big dance. “Our first final, we lost to Kojonup, so if we didn’t have that second chance, we probably wouldn’t have had the chance to make it to the grand final,” he said. “We had belief if we stuck to our structures and continued to play the way that we wanted and had been playing, we were good enough to beat anyone.” The 33-year-old captain said he was looking forward to next season — with a cheeky goal of going back-to-back but with one eye on the challenges being the hunted can bring. “You always want to say you’d like to do it again, but it’s one of the hardest things in football,” Cowan said. “I’ve won two (flags) in the last three years and I’m 33 now, but some people go their whole footy careers without winning one. “It’s hard to say we’ll be doing it next year, with the other teams trying to take our top spot, but that’s what we’re aiming for.”