By JARROD POTTER
PERSEVERANCE has defined the football journey of Matthew Boyd.
Boyd, 32, hauled his way up through every rank as his AFL dream at times appeared a mere mirage on the horizon. From Narre Warren juniors, through a tough campaign with Dandenong Stingrays, he had to head down the coast to Frankston and battle his way out of the seconds and back into senior selection and draft contention.
Once the hard yards were in the bank though – Boyd has rarely taken a false step in the AFL.
He’s proved his calibre as one of the finest south-eastern players to pull on the boots, and that fateful debut for number 42 in 2003 was just the start of a career including three Western Bulldogs best and fairest, All Australian honours and captaincy from 2011-2013.
Boyd tried to shrug off the milestone, as he believes the 300-game mark reached by former team mates Brad Johnson, Scott West, Chris Grant, Rohan Smith and potentially the current captain Rob Murphy (currently 283 matches) – was the more significant achievement.
“I’ve played with a lot of players that got to 300, so 250 doesn’t seem that important, but obviously it’s a big achievement I suppose,” Boyd said.
“It’s another game – it’s obvious a pretty significant achievement I suppose – you don’t really think about it until after the fact.”
Is 300 on the radar for Boyd in that case? He’s not sure at this stage, but hopes to still be a relevant factor for the Bulldogs as long as he can muster.
“What I’m trying to do is just enjoy footy as much as I possibly can – if it is that this is my last year then so be it, that’s what it is,” Boyd said.
“We’ll see how the body holds up, see how I’m playing and see if I’m still required – there’s a lot of factors you have to take into account when you get to my experience, age, wisdom – I’d like to think – but we’ll have to wait and see how it pans out.
“Just trying to enjoy every moment of it and it’s been good so far.”
A switch in tact this year via new coach Luke Beveridge has reinvigorated the steely midfielder, who is now the Bulldogs’ rebounding defender.
Starring in his new role, Boyd and his Bulldogs brethren ensured game 250 would finish on a high-note, as he racked up 31 possessions, 14 marks and the sweetest of all, a goal to cap off his milestone in fitting fashion.
