AT MIDDAY on Monday, Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan gave himself absolutely no chance of winning this year's Brownlow Medal.

He was relieved to be attending the count without the pressure that came with being the Brownlow favourite.

"Last year was massive and everyone thought I was home and hosed and you can't help but believe it a little bit and you start thinking 'gees I could be a Brownlow medallist here'," said Swan.

The words that followed at the Westpac Centre yesterday can now be put into the category of famous last words: "This year I know I'm not going to win it so I've got no pressure at all. I will just go along and have a good night and the cameras won’t be in my face all night," he said.

Needless to say he was looking forward to a normal, uninterrupted week of preparation. In 2010 he'd worn a suit three times during Grand Final week and been more drained than usual by the time the game arrived. He was looking forward to not having to repeat the dose in 2011.

Because if there are two things Swan does not do as a matter of course, it's wear suits and expend energy when it's not required that he do so. This year he anticipated being more like the guest finally invited to a party without having to fulfil an official role.

"Tuesday and Thursday will be exactly the same as I do every week," said Swan. "I will do the footy club stuff and go out and just relax and just cruise and try to get away from footy as much as possible and not think about is as much. I'm not a big football thinker, so when I'm here I will but when I'm not I'll just drift away and try to think about something else."

Now, of course, he has won the Brownlow Medal that he always deserved, after first shooting to prominence in 2007 when he watched himself poll 20 votes while wearing a Spiderman suit at a post-season gathering.

He had not been invited to the official count, given little hope by those who choose the who's who. He has now polled 113 votes since he first polled in round one, 2006, gaining one vote as part of a losing team. His first best on ground came seven weeks later against Geelong.

Of course, thinking about something else rather than football might be a little harder today than normal but Swan will find a way eventually. The odd gag, a self-deprecating aside, an efficient approach to dealing with any distractions and close mates who will help him relax will ensure the attention doesn't become overbearing.

Swan has not got to this stage without help anyway. He knows that Collingwood gave him a second chance. He respects the fact Mick Malthouse stuck by him and his mate Ben Johnson took him under his wing for a pre-season when the pressure was on and found the method to motivate him to enjoy the work required to unleash his talent. 

In some ways Swan personifies the philosophy the coach and the president have had towards its talented young players.

The words of Eddie McGuire to Swan when he was awarded a leadership position in 2009 sum up the ethos well:  "Swannie, you were going to get the arse a few years ago. We had a board meeting about it. Mick Malthouse fought for you. None of us wanted you to go. Now here you are. It just shows at Collingwood we don't care if you're an individual, if you have tatts or muck up, as long as you redeem yourself."

Swan had redeemed himself long before last night's victory - where he polled the most Brownlow votes ever under the 3-2-1 system. He has won three consecutive best and fairests and three All Australians but he has also been a superb leader, his quiet, pragmatic approach and dry wit quashing any hyperbole before it takes hold. 

Not only does Swan have enormous pace off the mark and rarely, if ever, lets the ball get past him, he, importantly, has played a critical role in getting teammates to understand that an individual's performance is dependent on the help of those wearing the same jumper on the ground.

When Swan speaks about football, everyone listens because Swan doesn't say things unless they need to be said.

He has always emphasised blocks, tackles and shepherds as much as possessions, his Brownlow a reflection of the improved performance (and recognition) of Collingwood's midfield as much as anything else and the team's improvement aligned to the midfield's performance.

Relaxed, driven, unaffected and now a Brownlow medallist.

The team goal remains. Nothing is likely to distract him from that ambition.

Peter Ryan spent the 2009 season inside the Collingwood Football Club, researching for the book, Side By Side, A Season with Collingwood (Slattery Media Group).

He writes for afl.com.au and the AFL Record. Follow him on Twitter at @pet_ryan