Boyd by success, a Bulldog fairytale

Excellent article on Boyd....

Boyd by success, a Bulldog fairytale
The Age
Rohan Connolly | July 4, 2009

MATTHEW Boyd can't believe how quickly his eight years at the Western Bulldogs have gone. Nor how recent seems a time when carving out a successful AFL career wasn't merely a distant dream, but the stuff of pure fantasy.

And with good reason. Like scores of other hopefuls, his confidence had taken a hit when he was overlooked at the 2000 AFL draft. But what happened the following year might have finished him off all together.

Still hoping to be noticed, Boyd journeyed from under-18s club Dandenong Stingrays to VFL side Frankston, where he waited for a chance to show his wares. And waited. And waited. In an entire season, Boyd cracked just one senior appearance with the Dolphins. By the end of the sobering experience, he'd just about had enough.

"I don't think too many have been picked up from the VFL twos," he quips. "Every day, I questioned what I was doing. I just wondered where my footy was going, and at the end of that year, I decided I wasn't going to play in the VFL again. I figured I was not going to get a look in, and I wasn't enjoying my footy, so I was going to go down and play amateurs with my schoolmates."

But two weeks before he was due to join them for training, Boyd got a call from Western Bulldogs' recruiting manager Scott Clayton, with whom he'd spoken during his under-18 year. As improbable as it seemed, someone had been watching the VFL reserves.

Boyd was invited to do the pre-season. He was picked up in the rookie draft. He made his senior debut the following season. And now he sits very comfortably indeed among the AFL's elite midfielders.

So comfortably that he's being mentioned in dispatches as a potential 2009 All-Australian. In a team full of class acts and silky skills, which is sitting a game clear in third spot on the ladder, he has been the standout. "He'd be leading our best and fairest. He's been exceptional," said coach Rodney Eade. "He's developed himself into a very good player, not only as a run-with player, which is how he first started out, but one able to win it himself and set the team up. His work rate is enormous — he and Daniel Cross are the best two trainers we've got here — but he's able to match that work rate with real quality possessions."

In a side full of prolific ball-winners, Boyd has won more possessions than any other Bulldog. He's ranked No. 1 for clearances, and also for goals scored directly from his clearances. And he's No. 2 for handballs and contested possessions.

That's in addition to negating the opposition's leading onballer each week, a task at which he has had the better of Carlton champion Chris Judd, while playing on the losing team, plus matching St Kilda's Nick Dal Santo, West Coast star Daniel Kerr, and being switched on to a rampaging Gary Ablett after half-time of the Bulldogs' classic against Geelong in round nine.

"It's been a little bit different this year, because I've played on the really good players, but I've also been given a little bit more freedom from coaches as well," Boyd said. "I don't know my numbers, that's not really an issue for me, but I think in previous years I'd have a good game then maybe just drop away a little bit. I think the consistency has been there from the start this year."

But the development of which Eade speaks has been a steady curve indeed, and while Boyd prefers not to dwell obsessively on his numbers, the proof is in the pudding. Take his average disposals, which have climbed incrementally each season, from seven in his first year, to 13, then 20, 25, and now peaking at 27 a game, 11th best in the AFL.

If you're looking for a poster boy for the impact of sheer hard work and gradual improvement, Boyd's your man. In that regard, the hard road he had to hoe to make it has become a huge asset.

"I think that's where your consistency comes from," he said. "Working on your weaknesses as much as you can, trying to develop your game, and not just standing still."

Those weaknesses included a perceived lack of pace, and some occasionally off-target disposal. Boyd worked overtime on both areas, trying to maximise what speed he had, and sheer weight of repetition ironing out the kicking flaws.

What had kept Clayton interested, though, were the strengths which often still go unnoticed — Boyd's quick hands and smooth decision-making. "He picks good options by hand in traffic, and you could see he just makes the right decisions," said Eade. "That's the first thing I noticed about him. He'd been in and out a bit, but I think he's only been out of the side once in the whole time I've been here."

Boyd's preparation and attention to detail are rapidly becoming legendary among the Bulldogs. "Some might say I'm a little bit obsessive compulsive with my routine and my warm-ups," he laughed. "I go out there by myself before a game and have a run around. I just do the same thing without fail. I've got a bit of a joke now with 'Gia' (Daniel Giansiracusa) and 'Higgo' (Shaun Higgins). There's this light switch at Etihad Stadium that I try to flick on with the footy before the game. I just stand there kicking the ball at the switch till I get it. I suppose everyone's got their little things."

But Boyd's determination and work ethic marked him as obvious leadership material to insiders at Whitten Oval long before the rest of the football world started taking notice. As part of the Bulldogs' leadership group, it's a role he's taken on with relish.

"Yeah, it's something I really enjoy," he said. "When I first got here, I was probably a bit quieter and didn't say much, but as you start to become more confident in your own ability, you feel like you can start to pass on advice to others."

Boyd's best mate is that other ferocious worker to whom Eade referred earlier, Cross.

"We're pretty tight, me and 'Crossy'. I suppose we're the new 'Smithy' and 'Johnno' combination," Boyd chuckled. "I suppose the thing that drew us together was that we were probably the last ones on the track most nights and we'd always just find ourselves doing those extras together."

It's hard to think of anyone among the Bulldogs who values more what he's becoming part of than Boyd.

"I've said to Scotty Clayton (now working for the Gold Coast team) a few times, 'Thanks a heap for taking the punt'. Because sometimes rookie spots are that, just a punt, and however they turn out, they turn out.

"But when you think about it, it's a minimal investment to put into a kid, and if they've got a little bit of potential, you may as well have a crack at it."

Boyd is grateful the Bulldogs did. But no more grateful than they that a kid whose aspirations appeared shot had the will to turn a spot in a VFL reserves team into one among the best at the highest level.

Another great rags to riches story. Might be keeping company with Sam Mitchell tonight.

His work rate is enormous — he and Daniel Cross are the best two trainers we've got here — but he's able to match that work rate with real quality possessions."
"KER POW" same work but with quality posessions

How much has his skill with foot improved this year I reckon he has already had more kicks this year than he did last year!!

35 disposals. I believe his best ever. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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Originally Posted by The Hill Show

35 disposals. I believe his best ever. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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Correct. Great game from Boydy

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/p...--matthew-boyd

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Originally Posted by The Hill Show

35 disposals. I believe his best ever. Correct me if I'm wrong.

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Watching the replay.... Boyd was great, wasn't he?

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Originally Posted by AndrewP6

Watching the replay.... Boyd was great, wasn't he?

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Yeah kicked a couple of nice goals as well. Congratulations to Griffen for getting his career high (31 disposals). Hopefully there are many more to come. I don't think Griffen and Boyd both breaking their records on the same night is a coincidence. Obviously the massive win helped. From the replay does Boyd dish it out to Griffen very often?

Interesting to hear that Crossy is his best mate.

I think there is definitely some merit in allocating jumper numbers to guys who need to work in close together. Assuming their lockers are in number order they most probably chat to their immediate neighbours more than the others.

Consider this:

Cross 4, Boyd 5, Johnson 6, Higgins 7 - three guys rotating through the midfield all with leadership capabilities with a bloke who has played 300+ games through the midfield and up forward and is the current captain.

Grant 1, Murphy 2, Everitt 3 - All similar body types, the younger of the two could do a lot worse than model their game on Bob.

Have a look at Carlton. Murphy 3, Gibbs 4 & Judd 5. Am I on to something here?

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Originally Posted by craigsahibee

Interesting to hear that Crossy is his best mate.

I think there is definitely some merit in allocating jumper numbers to guys who need to work in close together. Assuming their lockers are in number order they most probably chat to their immediate neighbours more than the others.

Consider this:

Cross 4, Boyd 5, Johnson 6, Higgins 7 - three guys rotating through the midfield all with leadership capabilities with a bloke who has played 300+ games through the midfield and up forward and is the current captain.

Grant 1, Murphy 2, Everitt 3 - All similar body types, the younger of the two could do a lot worse than model their game on Bob.

Have a look at Carlton. Murphy 3, Gibbs 4 & Judd 5. Am I on to something here?

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Umm.... Welsh wears 28...Cordy has 49... do they have to talk to the boot studder? :)

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Originally Posted by AndrewP6

Umm.... Welsh wears 28...Cordy has 49... do they have to talk to the boot studder? :)

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Hopefully locker number 49 is next to the weights room. No time to talk to anyone else.

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Originally Posted by craigsahibee

Hopefully locker number 49 is next to the weights room. No time to talk to anyone else.

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:D Nice one... in a perfect world, it'd be next to both the weights room and dining room...