Newly-crowned AFL Brownlow Medallist Ben Cousins was asked on Tuesday how he wants to be perceived.

Without pausing, he replied "as a premiership captain".

For years, Cousins intentionally avoided the AFL grand final because he was jealous of the sides taking part - for him the last weekend in September meant a holiday as far away from football as possible.

Then came the moment a few years ago where Cousins had to be in Melbourne and he saw first-hand the hype and intensity of grand final week.

It hit him - this was what everything was about for an AFL player.

"In Perth, we do get sheltered a bit and during the home and away seasons that's a good thing from the players' point of view because you do slip under your radar a bit," he said.

"Just grand final week (in Melbourne), the place goes berserk ... it dawned on me what it really is about.

"It's probably helped more on my leadership, it's driven me to help me understand the big picture about what we are really playing for.

"Up until that day, I had achieved quite a number of individual accolades and played pretty well, but you go and experience grand final ... you realise you're very-much unfulfilled."

Cousins now impresses on young players that they should make sure they attend the grand final whenever possible.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP