You’re never too old to learn according to Western Bulldogs veteran Matthew Boyd.
Boyd ripped off a 34 touch, nine mark performance in Footscray’s VFL win over Werribee on Saturday afternoon, and will likely come back into calculations for a senior recall this weekend against the Eagles.
But speaking to RSN radio on Tuesday, Boyd said he found the initial adjustment to playing VFL difficult after appearing in eight of the first eleven games in the ones.
"Initially it was a bit of a challenge (playing in the VFL), just being able to process that news and do it quickly enough to get you back on the park,” he said.
"It had been 13 or 14 years since I played VFL footy, so it's been a long time.
"My eyes were open to the fact that I could play VFL footy, I could have some injury concerns, and miss periods of the season as an ageing athlete.”
But after averaging 27 disposals and seven marks over the past two weeks, the 34-year-old said he’s enjoying his role in helping the Club’s younger players continue to develop in the state league while learning a bit himself.
“I’m really enjoying my experience here with this young crop of players,” he told the Herald Sun post-match on Saturday.
“We’re never too old to learn and never too old to grow, so I’m just going to invest as much as I can into my young teammates.”
The former captain has played 290 career games to date, but getting to 300 is not a focus, rather, he’ll do whatever the team needs.
"I had a chat to 'Bevo', and I said, 'Don't play me just to get to 300 games, because I don't want to be a burden on the footy club', Boyd said.
"Things would have to go extraordinarily well from here on in for me to get to 300, but it's not a focus."