Western Bulldogs veteran Matthew Boyd will play on in 2017, coach Luke Beveridge confirms

WESTERN Bulldogs veteran Matthew Boyd will play on with the club in 2017, coach Luke Beveridge has confirmed.

WESTERN Bulldogs veteran Matthew Boyd will play on with the club in 2017, coach Luke Beveridge has confirmed.

Boyd is yet to sign a contract to extend his career into next season after the defender and Beveridge agreed to put talks on hold until the end of the season.

Speculation about the 34-year-old’s future has swirled in the last few months after some uncharacteristic errors crept into his game, leading to an honest conversation between player and coach.

But after being named All-Australian and regaining form in the last six weeks, Beveridge confirmed Boyd will play on next year.

“Matthew and I have a very close relationship, close enough for me to be honest with him 10 or so weeks ago and for us to decide to leave it until a bit later,” Beveridge said.

“He wasn’t overly happy with that.

“We agreed to leave it. That was tough, that was a tough conversation.

“But he’ll go on next year. He’ll play on next year.”

Matthew Boyd will play on with the Bulldogs next year. Picture: Michael Klein

The preliminary finalists are in the envious position of having a number of young guns emerging, including the likes of Jason Johannisen, Clay Smith, Toby McLean and Josh Dunkley plus the return of captain Bob Murphy and suspended forward Stewart Crameri and the likely addition of Travis Cloke, which could have squeezed Boyd out of the team’s best 22 next year.

That was key in the conversation between Beveridge and Boyd, with the coach declaring he didn’t want to see the Bulldogs champion finish his career in the second-tier competition and needed to find his touch.

“I don’t want Matthew to finish at our club playing for Footscray (in the VFL). He’s been such a great player and I don’t want him to think like that. I want him to go on next year knowing that he’s going to be a part of our 22,” Beveridge told SEN. “That’s really important for him.

“The conversation was all around that. ‘How we’re going mate, there’s just a couple of areas you’re probably not as proficient as you ever have been, can we get that back? I want you to be part of this next year but you’ve got to be part of the 22.’

Matthew Boyd made a couple of errors against the Hawks on Friday night. Picture: George Salpigtidis

“It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do is have a conversation that’s more about the club than the player because I’m totally devoted to the players and it flies in the face of what I really want to do.

“But I have to do it. I’m contracted, employed by the footy club.”

Boyd had 19 disposals in Friday night’s upset semi-final with over Hawthorn, with the Dogs to travel to Sydney to play GWS for a spot in the Grand Final.

Originally published as Western Bulldogs veteran Matthew Boyd will play on in 2017, coach Luke Beveridge confirms