Tom Boyd took a knock to the cheekbone against North Melbourne on Good Friday. Credit:Getty Images Let's not forget in last year's preliminary final he shouldered the ruck duties when Jordan Roughead went down injured. That performance was arguably as good as his grand final, despite being very different. While his match against the Giants wasn't necessarily a big one on the stats sheet, it was dogged, hard-nosed and dour. He did what he had to do to get the job done. If you'd said before that day he'd be one-out against Shane Mumford, you'd think he was in for a flogging, but that wasn't the case. The following week in the grand final he showed another side to his game, taking pack marks and kicking important goals. He didn't win the Norm Smith Medal, but I had him best on ground. That fortnight should have been the catalyst for a big season in 2017. Yes, he's had his moments, and wouldn't be playing if Luke Beveridge didn't think he'd done the work, but has Boyd done everything he could to prepare? Or did he think it was just going to happen? I can't talk on his behalf, but given what Boyd produced in September and the confidence he would have gained by playing at such a high-level in the biggest game of his life, I've expected more.

Tom Boyd's effort against Shane Mumford in the prelim was arguably as good as his grand final. Credit:AFL Media/Getty Images In five games this season he has taken just one contested mark. In the grand final he took six. As a ruck-forward he just needs to go from contest to contest, but right now he still seems to have workrate issues and floats in and out of games. Having said that, in a lot of ways his form mirrors that of the Dogs as a whole. Last year their premiership was built on manic pressure and winning the ball in tight. So far, they haven't been able to match that approach. The fact they've had five weeks less preparation than most sides could be a factor, but heading into round six they should have reached that real match-hardness. The Dogs are playing a slightly different brand, and while it's allowed them to score more heavily, it's also allowed them to be scored against more easily as we saw against Brisbane last week. They're playing in bursts, rather than for the full four-quarters. At four and one it's not a major concern, but they won't be able to bring that spasmodic effort to Canberra when they take on GWS. In the preliminary final, I thought the Giants might get the Dogs on the outside with their speed and run, but Beveridge's men were simply hungrier when it counted. They won the 50-50 contests and when their opponents had the ball they made sure tackles were rarely broken. If they don't bring that same intensity on Friday night and plan for a shootout I think the Giants will win and win well.

In five games this season he has taken just one contested mark. In the grand final he took six. There's no doubt their last meeting will be at the forefront of everyone's thinking in Western Sydney and particularly for Jeremy Cameron. After a massive qualifying final in which he booted five goals against Sydney, Cameron produced one of the worst games he's played against the Dogs. But in contrast to Boyd, there's been a real steeliness about his start to the season and it seems like his mental preparation has been top-class. Cameron looks hungry and is attacking the footy more than ever. Like his teammates, he'll be hoping to erase those demons of 2016 on the Friday night stage. On the other hand, the Dogs can really press home a mental advantage against a side they're likely to face again later in the year.

This match has already become somewhat of a new age rivalry given the links between the two clubs. Callan Ward left the Dogs for the money in Sydney, while Boyd and Ryan Griffen traded places a few years ago. Since then there's been no lack of feeling and given their age demographics it's likely be a strong rivalry for some time. While Boyd is still a work in progress, what better way to prove he really is a consistent big-time player, than by toppling his former team once again?