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I know some people have bagged Cooney after he moved to Tullamarine, then in the media, but my daughter and wife watching the Celebrity Doghouse, featuring the Cooney family.

The back story of his now wife already having a daughter with cerebral palsy at 19yo when she met him as a 16yo, and him taking on that responsibility as a teenage step dad, then adding more kids, and how it kept him grounded during his footy career, is an interesting context on the things you don't appreciate some players are facing off field.

His esky lid surfing escapade was probably the worst thing he ever got up to off field, and the constant rumours he would flee back to an SA club at the first opportunity were ungrounded, until his mutual departure in the end of 2014 fall out.

Seems a great family man, and a strong bond to his disabled step daughter, so wish him all the best on that front.

Plus he'll always be a Bulldog Brownlow medallist and 200 gamer.