despite enjoying a breakthrough finals series in 2016, boyd struggled to reproduce that form in 2017. coach luke beveridge admitted he saw boyd as a ruckman more than a key forward at this stage of his career. he kicked seven goals from 11 games, and averaged 20 hit-outs a game, before enduring a poor run of injury, missing round 12 with a back injury and rounds 14 and 15 with a calf injury. on 5 july 2017, boyd was provided a leave of absence from the bulldogs to receive treatment for clinical depression.