BUDDING superstar Tom Boyd turned his back on Greater Western Sydney after just one season, but the Giants insist there are no hard feelings.

 

GWS picked Boyd with the No.1 overall pick in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft and had hoped to build a fearsome forward line around him, Jeremy Cameron and Jonathon Patton.

 

But Boyd left the club after just 12 months, orchestrating a messy divorce that began with the Giants initially declaring he wouldn't be traded under any circumstances.

 

The 19-year-old eventually got his wish, however, traded to the Western Bulldogs for Ryan Griffen, pick No.6 in this year's draft and some cash to help fund Griffen's new four-year contract.

 

Boyd has also earned himself a massive seven-year, multi-million dollar contract and GWS co-captain Callan Ward on Thursday accepted his decision.

 

"It's an interesting one," said Ward, who himself took a lucrative deal to leave the Bulldogs for GWS back in 2011.

 

"He's been offered a big contract at the Bulldogs and it's hard to say no to that as a 19-year-old player.

 

"He didn't really want to be here, so at the end of the day he chose to take the contract and good luck to him."

 

Asked if there were any signs during the year that Boyd wasn't buying into the Giants, Ward said: "Not at all. He was terrific all year for us and trained hard, but he's decided to go.

 

"It's unfortunate for us, but that's the way it goes."

 

The Giants lost Boyd, Kristian Jaksch, Mark Whiley (both to Carlton), Sam Frost (Melbourne) and Jono O'Rourke (Hawthorn) during the trade period.

 

But they managed to bolster their key defensive stocks by bringing in dual Brisbane Lions best and fairest Joel Patfull, while they will also have three top-10 picks in this year's draft.

 

While disappointed to lose a potential 200cm forward/ruck beast in Boyd, overall GWS coach Leon Cameron was pleased with his club's business.

 

"Tom stated that he wanted to go home and probably didn't want to be a part of what this club is actually building," Cameron said.

 

"We wish Tom all the best, he's a fantastic young kid and he's going to be a very, very good player for that footy club.

 

"But we feel as though we've done a fantastic trade for both clubs and we're rapt that this guy (Griffen) is standing beside me right now."

 

Cameron also had a swift response when questioned about GWS chief executive Dave Matthews' statement earlier this week that Boyd categorically wouldn't be traded this year.

 

"I think everyone is entitled to change their mind," he said bluntly.

 

With Boyd's departure and Patton's knee injury, which is likely to keep him sidelined for most or all of 2015, the Giants' forward line is now looking decidedly thinner.

 

Yet Cameron is confident that in Jeremy Cameron, Adam Tomlinson, James Stewart, Cam McCarthy, Andrew Phillips and Rory Lobb, he has more than enough tall options at his disposal.

 

He is also adamant the vast majority of his list is committed to the cause.

 

"There are a lot of really good people that have come from interstate and started up this footy club," he said.

 

"I'm really confident that 99 per cent of our players want to stay at this footy club.

 

"There's going to be one that might want to slip out, but 99 per cent of our boys are buying into our footy culture.

 

"I can clearly see that we're heading in the right direction."