Determination has paid off for Daniel Cross who claimed the Charles Sutton Medal, upstaging AFL Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney who finished second in the Western Bulldogs club award.

Cross, 25, polled 191 votes with the AFL's newly crowned best player Cooney on 167 and Matthew Boyd third with 163.

Cross, who played his 100th match earlier this year, was taken by the Bulldogs with pick No.56 in the 2000 AFL Draft and had struggled initially to get a regular game in midfield.

He was second in 2005 and third in 2006 in the club's best player award but missed seven games last year with groin and knee injuries.

"When he first started you weren't sure whether he would make it. He had to do a lot of work on his skills," captain Brad Johnson said.

"His determination and drive is just massive and that's why he's become one of the elite midfielders in the competition because of the way he prepares and developed himself as a player.

"He'll certainly play 200 for this club and will be up there as one of our best midfielders and in the league as well."

Cross, recruited from Albury, was also the inaugural winner of the Scott West Most Courageous Player Award, named in honour of retiring onballer who was club champion seven times.

West played 324 games for the Bulldogs including four this year when he battled a stress fracture to his left knee.

The champion left-footer was runner-up in the Brownlow Medal in 2000 and 2006.

A tearful West, 33, was unable to force his way back into the side for the finals series and was retired by the club at a meeting on Tuesday at Whitten Oval.

Callan Ward won Best First Year Player, Jarrod Harbrow was Most Promising Player, Dale Morris claimed the Match Committee Award, Shaun Higgins was given the Community Award and Cross won the Bruce Wilkinson Award (Trainers).

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