AFTER missing three matches with a fractured cheekbone, Western Bulldogs skipper Matthew Boyd says he just wants to get on with playing football again and won't wear any protective headgear in his comeback game on Sunday .
The three-time club champion returns to the line-up for the round 18 clash with West Coast at Etihad Stadium as the 15th-placed Bulldogs aim to build on their strong showings against competition heavyweights Hawthorn and Essendon in the past two weeks.
"I'm not sure about the intricacies of how bones heal," Boyd told reporters on Thursday.
"I know it's strong and I'm confident to go out there and play this week and so are the doctors and that's all that matters.
"No, I won't be wearing a helmet. As the surgeon said to me, it's a personal choice.
"I'd just rather get out there and play and forget about it."
Boyd took time out to heap praise on teammate Ryan Griffen, saying the midfielder was an emerging superstar who would go close to earning his first All Australian selection this season.
Griffen has averaged a career-best 29.2 disposals and almost a goal a game in 14 appearances this season and is now a top-10 player in the Official AFL Player Ratings (brought to you by Vero).
Griffen, who will turn 27 on Saturday, moved into equal-sixth position in the AFL Coaches' Association award after receiving the maximum 10 votes in the Bulldogs loss to League leader Hawthorn.
"He's had a very consistent year and I think that's what the All Australian selectors look for ... so if 'Griff' finishes the season off well, I can’t see why he wouldn’t be in the mix for the All Australian side," Boyd said.
"I see the best in Griff and I see him up close and personal and I think he's right up there in the elite category. The attributes that he's got means that he can be a superstar in the competition, and I think he's starting to show that.
"He's got a pretty good sidestep. He's hard to tackle and we get that first-hand out on the training track – not many guys can tackle him.
"He's really developed his game. He's become as much inside as he is outside. That's a pretty potent mix when he's got the attributes to play outside – the speed and the power – but when he gets inside he's pretty hard to stop as well."
Boyd said Griffen and youngster Tom Liberatore were among the Bulldogs to step up during the skipper's absence.
In the past fortnight, the Dogs have seriously challenged Essendon and Hawthorn but Boyd said: "We don’t want to have honourable losses, we want to have honourable wins. We're working towards that."
Ben Collins is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_BenCollins
