Tom Boyd anticipating fierce reunion against former club GWS in preliminary final

EVER improving Western Bulldogs big man Tom Boyd has predicted “fireworks” ahead of a preliminary final showdown with his former side GWS.

Tom Boyd goes for a mark against the Hawks. Picture: George Salpigtidis

EVER improving Western Bulldogs big man Tom Boyd has predicted “fireworks” ahead of a preliminary final showdown with his former side Greater Western Sydney.

Judging on the battering the Giants gave Sydney last week, and the recent animosity between the two clubs, key forward/ruckman Boyd is expecting a tough physical contest, but is confident the Bulldogs are ready for the challenge confronting them at Spotless Stadium on Saturday.

“It will be fireworks, after what we saw with the Giants and the Sydney game last week,” Boyd said after another solid performance against Hawthorn on Friday night.

“That was a fierce contest and I expect the same this week.”

Boyd’s exchange for then Bulldogs captain Ryan Griffen and pick six (Caleb Marchbank) had the two teams from the west of Melbourne and the west of Sydney at loggerheads.

The fact that Giants’ acquired Callan Ward in 2011 added to the feeling between the clubs.

Initially, the Giants refused to budge on Boyd leaving only one season after he had been recruited with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 national draft.

Tom Boyd wrestles with Hawks Cyril Rioli, James Sicily and James Frawley. Picture: Getty Images

But after much a standoff for a period, and some heated discussions, a deal was finally orchestrated.

The 21-year-old said it was only starting to sink in now that he was about to square off against the Giants for the last spot in the 2016 AFL Grand Final.

He insisted his decision to join the Bulldogs was due to a massive belief he had in his new side.

“Obviously, I’m just starting to turn my head towards that (playing against the Giants) now,” he said.

“I came to the Bulldogs with complete confidence in how strong our list was and they have proven that in spades in the last couple of weeks.”

“We have a super strong belief in our system. Obviously we were missing quite a few guys for a period of time, but we sort of got them injected back in the team the last couple of weeks.

“That really gave us a spark and the energy and intensity that we have brought the last two weeks, you just can’t match that around the ball.”

Boyd came under intense scrutiny earlier in the season, which led Geelong premiership star Cam Mooney to suggest he should consider taking a pay cut to his $1 million per season salary.

But Boyd has more than cemented his position in the back end of the season, as well as performing well in the two finals.

“I just listen to the people around me, and the people who are most important to me,” he said.

“You just want to keep playing good footy.”

“I suppose just finding that consistency with the ruck-forward role has been important to me. I feel like my ability to cover ground as a ruckman is a real strength of mine and I am just loving the role around the footy, and in attack.”

Originally published as Tom Boyd anticipating fierce reunion against former club GWS in preliminary final