WESTERN Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd has admitted he endured sleepless nights across his first season as captain but has emerged a stronger leader for the experience.

Boyd, who turned 29 last month, was appointed skipper in January after the retirement of Brad Johnson at the end of last season.

And, after three consecutive preliminary finals campaigns, big things were expected from the Dogs in 2011 with Barry Hall in goalkicking form, a sound defence and the midfield a mix of hard experience and youthful exuberance.

But, with a run of injuries hurting the Dogs' spine and an inability to build any momentum throughout the year - the Bulldogs suffered a three-game losing streak between rounds five and seven, and the two four-game ones between rounds nine and 12, and then 17 and 21 - made repeating that feat impossible. 

"You try not to let it get to you too much but there were a couple of sleepless nights here and there, thinking what more can you do," Boyd told afl.com.au.

"I guess it takes a bit of a toll but when I got the job I was told it was an added responsibility and asked if I was ready for it, and I was as well prepared as anyone at the club to handle those challenges.

"They make you grow. I've learned a lot this year.

"When I first got the role, I said it was going to an education process and I was going to learn along the way, and I'm not going to get it right all the time, or half the time, but I was going to have a good crack and I think I've done that."

Boyd said losing Adam Cooney for four game stints midseason and to close out the year had a major impact on the synergy of the midfield, and took away a chunk of his support as far as leadership was concerned.

However, he said the announcement of Rodney Eade's departure, which came after the 49-point loss to Essendon in round 21, plus the indelible question mark that hung over his future for much of the season, had not affected the team's performance.
 
"There was always that speculation but it wasn't a focus for us. We were just worried about who we were playing next and what we could do to prepare for the next game," he said.

"There were whisperings and murmurings going on through the media and probably at the club as well but you can't let that distract you because there are a lot of things that go on in AFL footy that are there and are all part of the game.

"Good teams don't let that distract you. Collingwood is still winning games and there's constant talk about what's going to happen with their coach.

"If you're a good team, you push past that."

The weight of responsibility certainly didn't affect Boyd's form, with the midfielder averaging nearly 32 possessions across every one of the Bulldogs' games.

Neither did the birth of daughter Chloe in April, the first child of Boyd and his wife Kate. 

He has earned his third straight All Australian recognition, having been named in the 40-man squad for the second consecutive year after making the final 22 in 2009.

Despite a solid personal year, Boyd is keen to enjoy a low-key off-season where he'll holiday with his young family in Queensland after a busy post-season period in 2010 when he toured Ireland with the Australian side for the International Rules series, and then took off around Europe with Kate.

He's also looking forward to making amends for the team's 10th-place finish and ensuring the lessons they learned about playing with the required amount of intensity are reflected in their endeavour.

"The upside of this year is we've learned a hell of a lot about what it takes and we've learned a lot about ourselves and a lot about opposition and the sort of progression we need to take to stay top four and be top four and compete week in, week out," he said.

"Injuries played a part but I can't really put my finger on what it was; it was just we didn't played with the intensity that's required at AFL level.

"Whether that's because we had a lot of kids come in and play and they're learning the game or whether it's been key players have been out that bring that each week, I'm not sure.

"But it's an upside we can take into the pre-season, and the other upside is we finish four weeks earlier so that could be an upside that we get more time before Christmas to put a really solid foundation down."

Jennifer Witham covers Western Bulldogs news for the AFL Website. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.