- Tom Boyd inked a monster six-year, $7million contract in 2015
Former Western Bulldogs star Tom Boyd has revealed the immense pressure he felt as a player – and person – after inking a monster $7million contract a decade ago.
Now 30, Boyd was a teenager when the staggering deal was confirmed by his manager Liam Pickering.
It also followed a mixed 2014 season for the GWS Giants, where the former number one draft pick featured in just nine games across his debut campaign.
Once Boyd arrived at Whitten Oval, the level of expectation was seismic.
A premiership followed in 2016, but ultimately Boyd felt suffocated by what coaches, teammates and fans demanded given his immense price tag.
So much so that Boyd left $2million on the table, retiring from footy in 2019.
Former Western Bulldogs star Tom Boyd has revealed the immense pressure he felt as a player – and person – after inking a $7million contract a decade ago (pictured, after booting a goal in the 2016 Grand Final)
Boyd was only a teenager when the staggering six-year deal with the Bulldogs was confirmed by his manager Liam Pickering
Boyd also had some advice for soon to be St Kilda teammates Tom De Koning (pictured) and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera – block out the outside noise as the duo prepare to earn a combined salary of nearly $4million from 2026 onwards
Across his AFL career, injuries and mental health concerns saw Boyd never play more than 15 games in a season.
He was also often sledged by rivals on the field, envious of his wage.
‘I didn’t handle it ( constant expectation) very well at all,’ Boyd told News Corp.
‘The amount of people who felt comfortable to come up to me and talk to me about how much money I have made – and this still happens to this day – is a really difficult thing to get your head around.
‘Some view you as the best player in the game because you are the highest paid….it is impossible to live up to that.’
Boyd also had some advice for soon to be St Kilda teammates Tom De Koning and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera – block out the outside noise.
The pair will earn a combined salary of nearly $4million, more than 20 per cent of the club’s entire salary cap from 2026 onwards.
With monster salaries comes a demand for success, and Boyd knows that better than anyone.
Now happily retired, Boyd is these days a mental health speaker and head of performance at software company Everperform.
