Tom Boyd retires

[1961grandfinal]

Premiership hero, what a man! Thank you for completing my life. Travel safely young man.

 

[ExRoyboy]

I must say I’m a bit pissed off at Bevo for turning him into a ruckman. If we played him as a forward as he was recruited for, who knows, he might’ve turned out ok

I think he played his best footy as a ruckman to be honest. As a young forward he just wasn’t up to it yet. The way he moved was more like a ruck than a key forward also. Think about how Aaron Naughton runs and moves when he doesn’t have the ball, constantly presenting, moving quickly to get separation and moving quickly when he grabs the ball also. I always felt Tom moved that bit slower, but as a ruck he did some great things and was able to rest forward and impact the scoreboard that way.

It’s a shame but I actually think he has made the right decision if football is getting in the way of him getting mentally and physically healthy.

Good luck Tommy.

 

[lateniter]

Very shocked to hear this news but I don’t think he has enjoyed his footy for a long time and it’s better for him to release the pressure and be able to get on with getting healthy and finding whatever else in life is his passion and will bring him happiness.

Thanks Tom for all the happiness you brought to the many Bulldogs supporters. You go out a Premiership Champion who stood up on the biggest stage when it mattered the most, both in the Prelim in Sydney where you were outstanding, and then in the Grand Final where you were literally one straight kick off winning a Norm Smith in my view.

Thanks for the memories, particularly in 2016. You’ll never be forgotten and are welcome back at the Whitten Oval anytime.

It was just this week that I joyfully (and with a bit of sand in the eye) relived Tom's grand final heroics when you dug out the great octocalls. Freaky.
Sad day for him, the club and all us rusted on supporters.

 

[flamethrower]

Thank you Tom for being a significant part of the 2016 team that delivered the Holy Grail to Bulldog fanatics everywhere.

Hopefully now you will have some peace from the mainstream media filth who thrive on cutting down tall poppies, and the low life trolls who ruin social media.

 

[ThirdLegUp]

I've never seen Bal Sagoth - Naked Steel (The warrior's saga), but it sounds like something I would like.
Can't have too much slashing and sword play and mindless violence, underrated.

Its a metal band, their music is very over the top and theatrical. Very Warhammer in terms of fantasy.
1st 4 albums were typical fantasy, wizards warriors and such, last 4 albums were warhammer 40k, future wars style.

Instead of lyrics they have characters and the 'singer' is more a narrator with an awesome deep voice and screams for the bad guys, great story like lyrics to inspire visuals, but while the whole story is to be found in the cd booklet, he only sings/narrates certain parts. They are quite old now finished as a band, Lord Byron the lead singer became an author and comic book writer or something. Still, they are one of my fave bands for being very original and spawning an entire genre of imitators, but no one ever matched them for feel and writing prowess.

Here is an example, great band for when you just want to leave everything behind for a while. 1 drummer, 1 keyboardist, 1 guitarist and 1 narrator/singer. It's impressive.

Bal-Sagoth - A Tale From The Deep Woods

[Lyrics]

The ravens are on the wing!

My scramasax is red (stained with the blood of many Mercian warriors),
The ravens are on the wing,
By Offa's decree I am an outlaw,
Branded wolfshead by my own king.
(The orm-garth awaits me, darkly astir with ophidian malice...)

The ravens are on the wing!

Ash for our spear-hafts,
Yew for our bow-staves,
Oak for our deck planks,
Oak and elder our shields.

Hail, o' great liege of the ancient woods, ruler of the deepest forest...
you, who were reigning o'er your time-veiled kingdom centuries before the
arrogant men who proclaim themselves kings of this island ever supped of
life's bitter-sweet draught...

I give you my hail,
I give you my blood,
I give you my life,
O' sylvan liege.

My life bleeds forth unto the earth (from many deep and dire wounds),
To slake your roots, great old king... (As I rest my battle-ravaged body against thee.)

The ravens are on the wing!

Ten leagues ride on lathered steed,
Gold in hand to a sword-for-hire,
A blood-eagle carved by Saxon steel,
And two score slain earns royal ire.

Gwynned lies two days westwards,
Still further south, the weregeld calls.
Mayhap with All-Father Woden's favour,
My deeds may yet inspire the skalds.

Litha's moon gleams high o'er the tallest oak,
Ancient king in this sylvan court of elm, ash and yew,
The wood-spirits watch from gnarled bough and bole,
As I pull two Mercian shafts from my bloodied thews.

The ravens are on the wing!

I give you my hail,
I give you my blood,
I give you my life,
O' sylvan liege.

Beneath the oak, I rest, bone weary,
Thirsting for a horn of ale or jug of mead,
And yet how could a heathen man wish for any more,
Than the healing balms of English trees?

The ravens are on the wing!

 

[tha Freak]

Sad to see him go as his best was yet come, but a great story and great 2016 finals campaign. Worth every penny to get him.
I wish him all the best.

 

[ThirdLegUp]

i have to admit i'll always be left with a what if now. His effort in the GF showed that he was as good as everyone thought he could be. If he never lived up to the hype then that is one thing, but to have left the game with a game that clearly showed he was genuinely as talented as many believed. Really is a shocking case of the stars aligning perfectly... and yet horribly at the same time.

 

[stefoid]

Surprising, but a relief for everybody I think.

 

[Chicago1]

Thank you, Tom, for helping the Doggies to a flag in my lifetime - I think many of us oldies had nearly given up hope .

Good luck and good health in the future, and don't be a stranger.

Hey, Curly, don't you be a stranger!

I really don't think that the younger supporters could ever realise what that Premiership meant to many of us. I'm glad that they had their day in the sun early in life. And one month and one day later I celebrated a Championship as a Cubs fan, something my mum never got to do in her 90 years of life. The year 2016 brought the best of times, but also the worst of times for me. Tom was a huge part in the best and for that I will always be grateful.

 

[charcoalchicken]

Instrumental in breaking the 62 year hoodoo and bringing a flag to the club, hope he can get his mind right and enjoy life after footy, goes down as a bulldogs legend

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Will be telling my son the Tom Boyd story years from now.

Will be a Bulldogs legend for the rest of our lives

Onya Tom!!!

 

[Norm De Guerre]

Avoid the toxic main board at all costs.

efa.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

I will never forget Tommy Boyd and the role he played in finals. Legend.

 

[MYOB]

Tom Boyd should never have to pay for a beer for the rest of his life.

 

[Struggle]

Hope he has a lap of honour at one of our games later in the year

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Feel sad for Boydy but hopefully this gets him feeling well again. Pretty honourable of him I suspect giving up the $ to release us as well as him. He's provided us a flag(!) already and now a crap load of cap space.

If I went back in time I'd do the trade again every time.

 

[Triple Baileys]

Yes I also stated it somewhere on here earlier this year. Saddest day in a while for me as a Doggie fan. I’m 43, and remember how happy I was when we recruited him. I must’ve had a feeling he will bring something big....And that he did, the 2016 premiership. I’ll always remember him as one of the Bulldog greats up there with Granty, Hawkins, Johnno etc. for those 2 big finals! Thank you Tom, you made my life as a Doggie fan fulfilled the day you pulled on the boots 1 October, 2016

agree with your well chosen words and can I add his 2015 was very promising, his return as a ruckman in the latter part of the 2016 home and away season was a revelation and his performance in the elimination final against West Coast was very worthy in addition to his star finals against GWS and the Swans.

There were a few of us who have been reading the tea leaves on Boyd for some time now. For me, when his 2018 season petered out a few games after his much awaited return was the turning point for me. I thought then he didn't look right and wondered if he was really up to the rigors of AFL anymore. Then after his pre-season for 2019 was ruined with the persisting back injury and learning of reports he'd gone on an international surfing safari in the off-season, coupled with some baffling statements from club insiders, I felt (sadly) we wouldn't be seeing much more of him on the field. And that's how its turned out.

 

[100action]

Tom "from inside the centre square" Boyd

 

[ScragCity]

Sorry if this has been discussed but does anyone know conclusively whether or not Tom's salary still counts towards our cap (even though he won't be receiving payments)?

I heard Floggo Barret saying on the radio that he thinks Boyd's salary will still be counted in our cap. Said the Buddy deal is the precedent. Anyone know what he's talking about here?

 

[Ant_]

Sorry if this has been discussed but does anyone know conclusively whether or not Tom's salary still counts towards our cap (even though he won't be receiving payments)?

I heard Floggo Barret saying on the radio that he thinks Boyd's salary will still be counted in our cap. Said the Buddy deal is the precedent. Anyone know what he's talking about here?

Buddy deal was free agency

 

[Kermit]

Sorry that it has ended this way. But we’ll always have 2016. Cheers Tommy....

Thanks for the memories. Go and enjoy whatever life has in store for you next. You’ll always be a Bullgod to us.

 

[Sentinel]

 

[ScragCity]

I feel like Boyd's will go down in history as the most bizarre career in the AFL.

 

[Charlie Bucket]

Barrett already pushing for the AFL to look at us including his 2020/21 salary in our cap.

 

[mighty seagulls]

As a fan, I am absolutely gutted! But I wish him all the best for the future.
Tomorrow is the 17th of the month. At 17:17 we raise our glass to Tommy! Tommy Boyd!