RYAN Griffen's defection to Greater Western Sydney during last year’s off-season came as "a shock" to former Western Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd.

The Giants' recruit walked out on the Bulldogs in acrimonious circumstances last October after 202 games, in the same month that coach Brendan McCartney quit the club.

Boyd, who was succeeded by Griffen as skipper of the Bulldogs in late 2013, said he was surprised when he was made aware of the 28-year-old's intentions to leave.

"'Griff' gave me a call at the time and told me what he was going to do and I was shocked at that decision (and) that it had come to that," Boyd told Fox Footy on Monday night.

"Knowing Griff pretty well, I knew that it would’ve been a decision that wasn’t taken lightly from him; some extraordinary circumstances in his mind had played out.

"I know what sort of person he is and he's a quality person, so it was disappointing but we just had to move on."

Despite the eventful off-season, Boyd said veteran Bob Murphy had more than adequately fulfilled the role as skipper.

"'Murph' stepped into the void absolutely perfectly," Boyd said.

"He's been a leader for a long time at our footy club but with the title of captain, he's flourishing; he's taken it to a new level so it's great to see."