Tom Boyd was just eighteen years old when he was named the number one AFL draft pick of 2013. After briefly playing for Greater Western Sydney he moved back to Melbourne to join the Western Bulldogs. The teenager’s contract was worth a record-breaking $7 million.

Tom Boyd was instrumental in the Bulldogs premiership of 2016, the team’s first in 62 years.

Three years later, at 23 years old, Tom made the decision to retire from footy, shocking fans, commentators and everyone who had predicted a long and glittering career.

In this conversation Jamila Rizvi & Tom Boyd discuss the pressure and scrutiny that came with Tom’s AFL career, including the cycle of severe insomnia, depression and anxiety, plus his insights on what the AFL can do better to help players both on and off the field. 

 

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