Western Bulldogs forward Tom Boyd has opened up on how he personally dealt with the intense scrutiny placed on him since his big money move from the GWS Giants in 2014.
Boyd, picked up by the Giants with their first pick in the 2013 AFL National Draft, made his way to the Bulldogs in the 2014 AFL Trade Period and was signed to a long-term contract worth approximately $1 million a year.
While the Dogs’ rise from competition cellar dwellers to premiers in two seasons under coach Luke Beveridge has been remarkable, Boyd’s lacklustre performances in relation to his huge salary have often garnered criticism from fans and the media alike.
The 21-year-old says that the guidance of Beveridge and other coaches within the club helped him deal with the large amounts of scrutiny, which he believes will only make him a better person moving forward.
“In my short career I have probably dealt with a lot of scrutiny,” he said on SEN Breakfast’s The Wednesday Crunch.
“I came as the first pick in the 2013 draft and that came with some baggage, as it were.
“I think the last two years have been a real sort of maturing experience for me because obviously I have been exposed to different sorts of scrutiny to what I was in my first year.
“Ultimately I think, listening to Luke and the other coaches and people within the club who don’t really care about that stuff and honestly have my best interests at heart was the best way I could deal with it.
“Obviously I had my certain challenges last year and no doubt at different times they were really hard to get my head around, but in the long term I think that’s the beauty of our group.
“We just persevered and through whatever adversity we faced throughout the whole year, as individuals and as a team, we just made it work when it counted.
“Last year was a real eye-opener for me in a holistic sense…I am definitely going to be a better person and a better player for it.”
Boyd was a standout for the Dogs during their successful 2016 finals campaign, with his three goal, eight mark and 14 disposal Grand Final display in particular being lauded as a coming of age performance for the key forward.
Boyd says that he is extremely proud of what he was able to contribute to his side during the most important four weeks of the season.
“The funny thing about playing finals football that I probably didn’t quite realise at this level was that it really does go back to basics,” he said.
“It really is quite a humbling experience. Your value on how you perform week to week does diminish and puts a great spotlight on how the team is going and whether obviously we are winning.
“From that sense it’s really hard to put your own performance at the time into perspective because ultimately, all you care about is trying to get a win… we were doing the ‘do or die’ situation week to week.
“Looking back, I was really proud of what I was able to contribute.”
Click here to view Tom Boyd's SEN Inside Football AFL Player Ratings.