Dale Morris penned his thoughts for 'AFL Players' on good friend Matthew Boyd equalling the record for most games off a rookie list against Sydney Swans tonight.
It will be a pleasure to see my long-term friend and teammate Matthew Boyd equal the record for most games off a rookie list when he returns to the side.
But a personal accolade will mean very little to him, Boydy is a guy that has always had a team-first attitude although he’ll probably be a little flattered and surprised.
Whether he has the record or not, it won’t change him at all, he’ll take it in his stride and continue to work as he ever has. Personally, I’m thrilled for him and he thoroughly deserves it, he can add it to the long list of achievements that he does have. It’s fitting that he has that record.
Having come off the rookie list myself I know just how hard it can be to earn your place, which makes the record even more outstanding.
For starters, coming off a rookie list is a tough gig — maintaining that spot on the rookie list, doing all the work, knowing that there is a possibility that you won’t play footy. It all takes its toll.
When Boydy started on the rookie list, it was bittersweet knowing that a teammate had to get injured for you to get onto the senior list to be able to play a game. The amount of training, the amount of work you do for the possibility of getting onto the senior list is a tough position to be in.
I spent four years training and trying out for the Dogs before I was rookie-listed in 2005, so I got to see Boydy at the beginning of his career. One of the earliest things I remember was just how hard this guy worked, and when I did join the club my perceptions of him only strengthened.
He was forever bettering himself on the field, and in the gym he never wasted a session. Then off the field he was always looking to develop himself as a person and a player. The amount of work he did to improve his leadership was just huge.
