How Blues defender rose from local twos to become an AFL regular in three years

Carlton defender Jordan Boyd never even thought of playing AFL as an underage footballer.

While most players make their way to the top via the Coates Talent League or pathways programs, Boyd was never given the opportunity in one of those elite setups.

Instead, then a laid-back teenager, Boyd plied his trade with Spotswood, where he started off playing in both the under-19s and reserves, before eventually pushing into the seniors.

Local senior football was as far as Boyd ever felt he would get to, he even skipped a game to go to a music festival in 2018.

It was in that 2018 year though that he began to catch the eye of Footscray in the VFL. While he wasn’t picked up by the Dogs straight away, he eventually earned his way onto their list midway through 2019 and Boyd described his journey as a crazy ride.

“Back in 2017 I was just playing at Spotswood, playing in the under-19s and reserves, playing two games in one day,” Boyd told SEN The Run Home.

“Then the next year I played seniors and the thought that’s probably as high as I'll ever go … I skipped a game to go to a music festival and got dropped, which was a learning experience.

“The coach actually came to me that week and said, ‘Oh, I'm pretty disappointed, I was actually getting Footscray to come down and have a look at you that week’, and I kind of didn't really believe him.

“But I was fortunate enough at the end of the year to be asked down to do a pre-season at the end of 2018 and the start of 2019 … but I didn’t end up getting a contract.

“But one of the players left halfway through the year and a spot fortunately opened up … it went from there, so it's been a pretty crazy ride.”

Boyd went to school at the Maribyrnong Sports Academy, and even there he didn’t feel that footy would be his future despite the school helping create elite athletes.

It was only once Spotswood’s coach got in his ear that he began to take his craft seriously.

“At Maribyrnong, I was learning how to be a bit of an athlete, but I honestly didn't think football would be in my future at all,” Boyd said.

“I just more played it to enjoy playing with mates and I was playing cricket as well.

“It probably wasn't until 2018 when the senior coach at Spotswood at the time said, ‘Mate, I think you should have a crack at footy and see where it takes you’.”

After just half a season of VFL footy in 2019, Boyd missed the 2020 season due to COVID but started the 2021 season in fine fashion.

His performances there as a small forward and defender clearly caught the eye, but even then he was focused purely on his state-league commitments instead of targeting an AFL future.

“I didn't play footy in 2020 because of COVID, but in 2021, I worked a lot with one of the backline coaches Anthony Bund,” Boyd said.

“He really helped me set some goals and some targets and we really went hard after them and put in some work.

“I thought honestly with the mid-season draft that I wasn't going to get taken. They would say, ‘Let's just have a good year in the VFL and see where that puts you’, and that was my attitude.”

Boyd only got wind that he was a chance to be picked up in the 2021 id-season draft when his manager Scott Lucas told him Carlton was keen to talk to him.

Even then, he didn’t really believe it until his name was read out at pick No.20.

“I was kind of a bit shocked two weeks before I got a call from my now manager who was also at Maribyrnong, Scotty Lucas,” Boyd explained.

“He said that, ‘Carlton's interested in speaking to you’, and I kind of thought he was taking the piss.

“It honestly all came out of nowhere. I didn't really tell anyone that I'd had a meeting with them because I didn't expect it to go anywhere.

“It really came out of nowhere for myself and probably everyone around me.”

Since being drafted, Boyd has developed into a quality small defender at the AFL level with elite kicking skills.

He’ll play his 27th AFL game in navy blue when Carlton hosts Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium on Saturday afternoon.