Matty Boyd signs for another Year

[bornadog]

Breaking news from Fairfax reporter Emma Quayle:

Western Bulldogs veteran Matthew Boyd will play on with the club next year.
Boyd, heading into his 15th season, has signed a one-year contract extension.
The premiership defender's immediate future fell under some doubt earlier this year, with an original contract offer withdrawn.

However coach Luke Beveridge said ahead of the finals series that the club wanted Boyd to continue.
Boyd made the All Australian team this year at the age of 34, and was among his team's best players in the grand final.

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[bulldogtragic]

That takes him out of the musical chairs game. Reward for great effort.

On 282 games heading into next year.

[SlimPickens]

Fantastic. Great to have him go around again.

[Throughandthrough]

good. A true Bulldog.

[Sedat]

In light of the potential departures from our backline, fantastic that we have his calm head down there in 2017. A thoroughly deserved contract for a brilliant season - I can't see him falling off a cliff next year.

[choconmientay]

Hopefully his body keep up to the AFL workload and we'll see him play his 300 late in the season.

[Ozza]

Brilliant that he is playing on. He has been huge for us for a long time - but in particular, his last two season at half back have been crucial to how we play.

Great to see him get a chance to join the 300 club....him and Bob both in 2017 will be pretty special.

[hlnbidoffer]

He's a champion and deserves to be treated like one. Well done to the club for getting it done and all the best to Matty for 2017.

[whythelongface]

Champion. Love him. So happy that he is going around again.

[Mofra]

I just hope he plays at least 18 games next year. Another for the 300 club.

[bulldogtragic]

I just hope he plays at least 18 games next year. Another for the 300 club.

It'd be great to see a second #5 and a first #2 join the 300 club.

[EasternWest]

I think he should've retired. Not because he doesn't deserve to play, but because there'd be no better way to go out. All Australian, drought breaking premiership, former captain. He's got nothing left to prove.

Still. He's a competitive beast, so I can understand him wanting to go on. Deserves to have his banner hanger with the other Bulldog champs.

[KT31]

Good stuff, I want Matty to join the 300 club.

[bulldogtragic]

An ex-captain signs on for next year, nearing the 300 club and barely the thread has moved. Is there other dog stories today? :D

[LostDoggy]

Yay! Onya Boydy.

[Doc26]

Pleased to hear that Boydy is going around again.

[Eastdog]

Great news. He has been very important down back for us in recent years so great to keep that experience.

[Eastdog]

Brilliant that he is playing on. He has been huge for us for a long time - but in particular, his last two season at half back have been crucial to how we play.

Great to see him get a chance to join the 300 club....him and Bob both in 2017 will be pretty special.

Certainly will be special they both deserve to get to 300. Just great as well along with M Boyd that Bob is going around again.

[1eyedog]

Least some players are still loyal.

[Eastdog]

Least some players are still loyal.

You would like to think so today but it is slowly slipping away with whole notion of free agency. Im one who just wants to know who we get in from the trade period all confirmed and who goes out all confirmed and not buy into the rumour mill too much.

[1eyedog]

You would like to think so today but it is slowly slipping away with whole notion of free agency. Im one who just wants to know who we get in from the trade period all confirmed and who goes out all confirmed and not buy into the rumour mill too much.

I'm just stuck in the 70s and 80s Eastie.

[Eastdog]

I'm just stuck in the 70s and 80s Eastie.

I see :) Yes I was born in the late 80s but it would have been great to have witnessed the footy back in the 70s and 80s heading to the old grounds each week and seeing the Doggies at Western Oval.

[LostDoggy]

I'm just stuck in the 70s and 80s Eastie.

Not sure 70s/80s was such a great era for player loyalty, particularly at Footscray. Player turnover presently beats the hell out of 1978-82.

[ratsmac]

I still can't believe that I was wishing that Matty would pull up stumps 3 or maybe 4 years ago. His foot skills were as bad as anyone in the amateur leagues. Since Bevo has moved him to the backline somehow he has this new found skill set. His foot skill is now one of our best.

Kudos to Matty for turning his career around and getting a few more quality seasons out of himself. He has the same Bulldog spirit that saw Tony Liberatore reinvent himself from a ball winning ruck rover to one of the leagues best (and dirtiest) taggers going around.

Well done Matty Boyd. He thoroughly deserves this new contract.

[LostDoggy]

Good onya Boydy :)
A true bulldog through and through.

[bulldogtragic]

Having played all 5 weeks in 2017, he's now sitting on 287 games. There's 17 H&A games plus finals to come, so I don't see him asking for any rests during the year, and he's going to need to keep form from kids like Williams or Lynch coming in to take his spot. Irrespective of how many more games he plays, 287 games and captaincy for many years off the rookie list is a wonderful return for club and player.

[bornadog]

Having played all 5 weeks in 2017, he's now sitting on 287 games. There's 17 H&A games plus finals to come, so I don't see him asking for any rests during the year, and he's going to need to keep form from kids like Williams or Lynch coming in to take his spot. Irrespective of how many more games he plays, 287 games and captaincy for many years off the rookie list is a wonderful return for club and player.

Can't believe he has played that many - 300 games coming up, what a great achievement from reserves player from Frankston.

[GVGjr]

Having played all 5 weeks in 2017, he's now sitting on 287 games. There's 17 H&A games plus finals to come, so I don't see him asking for any rests during the year, and he's going to need to keep form from kids like Williams or Lynch coming in to take his spot. Irrespective of how many more games he plays, 287 games and captaincy for many years off the rookie list is a wonderful return for club and player.

I tend to think if he has a couple of spells through the season it will strengthen his position in the team.

He's had a great career especially coming off the rookie list. He should be very proud of what he has achieved.

[Remi Moses]

Been terrific, very good composure . The back half move has prolonged his career

[Go_Dogs]

Will go down as one of our best players, a great career.

[Bulldog Joe]

Do we know if there is any player who started through the rookie list at any club that has played more games.

[bulldogtragic]

Do we know if there is any player who started through the rookie list at any club that has played more games.

Dean Cox has 290. Not sure if he's the record holder, I think he might be.

[1eyedog]

Do we know if there is any player who started through the rookie list at any club that has played more games.

Firrito was a rookie did he play 300? Milne I think was too.

[Ozza]

Firrito and Milne both played 275 games.

[bulldogtragic]

I don't want to be over the top, but a genuine couple of questions:

Has he played on one too many seasons? For me, yep.
Should we have offered him another year? Especially with a glut of HBFs. For me, no. He should've left on top as an AA & Premiership Player.
Will he play 11 more games, getting to 300? For me, I'm not really sure he will if he can't turn his form around.

[always right]

Cliff appears to be approaching faster than we hoped.

[Doc26]

He's worn a few heavy hits in the first month, and with a few like Matt struggling to carry the load due to the instability to select our best 22 through injury, form and the annual list changes.

It's a long season and I'm expecting that his hardness and experience will become very useful in the winter months and hopefully when our list takes better shape than it is right now.

He will need to be managed through the season to keep him fresh whilst allowing the likes of Williams and Webb to get the necessary games into them.

[jeemak]

Half way through last season we put off contract talks, he earned AA.

Not even half way through this season he's shown less than acceptable form in a couple of games, OK form in a couple and good form in one or two.......

The dysfunction of our entire playing list and the way it's being coached definitely has something to do with it for mine, put some solid players in solid form around him and he'll produce more.

We were a shambles doing our best to hang on tonight due to experience and personnel issues. The fact he and others didn't completely crumble is a testament to the fortitude of the list.

If and when we have personnel back and settled, he'll be a different player.

[always right]

Half way through last season we put off contract talks, he earned AA.

Not even half way through this season he's shown less than acceptable form in a couple of games, OK form in a couple and good form in one or two.......

The dysfunction of our entire playing list and the way it's being coached definitely has something to do with it for mine, put some solid players in solid form around him and he'll produce more.

We were a shambles doing our best to hang on tonight due to experience and personnel issues. The fact he and others didn't completely crumble is a testament to the fortitude of the list.

If and when we have personnel back and settled, he'll be a different player.
My concern is that his surehandedness appears to have disappeared. He's fumbling more and when was the last time you saw him take an overhead mark, one of his traits in the last couple of years? His lack of pace is nothing new but he is out of the contest so quickly nowadays I'm no longer sure he's in our best 22.

[lemmon]

With a lot coming back over the next few weeks, I think he's squeezed out. Spots are going to be hard to come by and Williams + Webb have definitley gone past him.

[comrade]

With a lot coming back over the next few weeks, I think he's squeezed out. Spots are going to be hard to come by and Williams + Webb have definitley gone past him.

Will be interesting to see how we handle the awkwardness of exiting a club champion. Not saying he's dead and buried, but it's on the horizon.

[bulldogtragic]

Will be interesting to see how we handle the awkwardness of exiting a club champion. Not saying he's dead and buried, but it's on the horizon.

I'm happy to take out bets that if Boyd doesn't get to 300 games, 'if' he can't turn it around, the media haters will say it's the worst lack of sportsmanship since Mike Atherton declaring on Graeme Hick.

[boydogs]

He needs to find form, but I wouldn't call time on him yet

[WBFC4FFC]

Will be interesting to see how we handle the awkwardness of exiting a club champion. Not saying he's dead and buried, but it's on the horizon.

Agree about the present.

Still think his past has been underrated.

Will be interesting in how we deal with Murphy, Boyd and Morris all potentially being gone end of season.

[Sedat]

I can see Bob and Dale going again next season. Bob has that body type - wiry but strong - that is conducive to career longevity and he has not lost any speed or lateral movement. For me it is a question of Bob's mental motivation. Dale started late at AFL level so has less miles on the clock, and he is still an elite one-on-one defender. The end comes quickly for older players but I can see these two having another 12 months left at the top of their game - perhaps more (in particular Morris) but let's cross that bridge in 12 months time.

[Scorlibo]

With a lot coming back over the next few weeks, I think he's squeezed out. Spots are going to be hard to come by and Williams + Webb have definitley gone past him.

Really? Webb has played one senior game this year for mediocre returns and Williams has played one AFL-standard game out of the three he's played. I agree that Boyd hasn't started the season well, but on exposed form at AFL level he still is ahead of these two pretty comfortably for mine. Hopefully by the end of the season, one or both of Webb and Williams can be a best 22 player.

[S Coast Simon]

There is still a strong argument for sentiment in footy clubs. We need to respect what this man has done and will do for this club. He is an AA premiership player and deserves a bit more gratitude from the very supporters he plays for. So he is a bit off so are a fair few. If we make finals he will be one of the first picked as he is tough as nails when it is required. I pray he makes 300. Look at what has happened at hawks getting rid of two club greats tears the fabric out of the playing group. They are a footy club still as we all remember playing for your club and your mates.