The Western Bulldogs, rarely at the centre of the AFL universe, have made one of the boldest plays in their history.

The Scraggers have thrown caution and any hint of inferiority complex to the wind to land Tom Boyd from Greater Western Sydney.

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Wounded by the sensational walkout of skipper Ryan Griffen, the Dogs responded by opening their cheque book and staring down the Giants in pursuit of their man.

The 200cm key forward is on a seven-year deal worth more than $6 million.

It is the sort of behaviour more commonly associated with Carlton in previous generations, or Sydney in recent years.

Except that the Western Bulldogs, out of a combination and necessity and desperation, have taken a risk the like of which no club in a genuinely powerful position would entertain.

When the Swans signed Buddy for nine years, they at least knew they were getting a bona fide champion.

Boyd, on the other hand, is a 19-year-old who has played nine AFL games and booted eight goals.

Yes, he was the No.1 draft pick last year, but so too were Josh Fraser, Matthew Kreuzer and Jack Watts, and they did not turn out to be the sort of players you can build a team around.

They were certainly not offered contracts like this in their second year. Come to think of it, neither were Wayne Carey or Nick Riewoldt.

Questions abound, including what impact a teenager on mega-bucks will have on team unity, not to mention the matter of who will be in charge of Boyd’s development. (The Bulldogs, remember, have not yet replaced Brendan McCartney, collateral damage of the Griffen affair.)

Ryan Griffen is on his way to GWS. Photo: AAP

The Western Bulldogs have won only one flag in their history – 1954 – and have been looking to land a big fish for some time. The Griffen earthquake brought things to a head.

Western Bulldogs chief executive Simon Garlick was talking big, describing the recruitment as a “major coup”.

Said the club: “Boyd’s size, speed, leap and marking have long been regarded as close to the complete package in a key forward.”

Sounds great. The proverbial ‘Danny from Droop Street’ will be praying he doesn’t do a fetlock.

By playing hardball, the Doggies have also made the Giants look silly. Listen to chairman Dave Matthews earlier in the week: “We are sincere in what we say. For the avoidance of doubt Tom Boyd is not going to be traded.”

Er, right.

This was Matthews on Wednesday explaining the change of heart: “First, the Bulldogs have made a revised and attractive offer which now includes their first draft pick (six), an elite player in Ryan Griffen and salary cap assistance in relation to his contract.

“Second, our coach Leon Cameron has consulted the leadership group and they have agreed they want a united and loyal playing group heading into an important season in 2015.

“Third, as a club we are proud to represent Western Sydney and Canberra and it’s critical that our players share that value. Clearly Tom doesn’t and the best course of action is for him to leave the club.”

In other news, Collingwood star Dayne Beams was traded to Brisbane in a complicated five-way deal involving Geelong, Melbourne and North Melbourne.

But that was small beer by comparison. For once, the Bulldogs overshadowed the lot of them.

Whether it has been worth the risk, only time – seven years, in fact – will tell.