Western Bulldogs veteran Matthew Boyd says he’s focused on enjoying the ride rather than making a decision about his playing future.

The 32-year-old will play his 250th AFL game on Saturday night when the Bulldogs face Carlton at Etihad Stadium.

Out of contract at the end of the year, he knows decision time is looming – and that the eighth-placed Bulldogs are on the rise, making another season tempting.

“Definitely yeah, white-knuckling, just holding on as much as I can,” Boyd said.

“It’s an exciting time to be at the footy club and it’s an exciting bunch of young guys coming through so clearly you want to be around for that.”

Boyd said he would wait until later in the season to see how his body felt and if his form warranted a new deal.

“I’ll have to see how I’m playing and if I’m required,” Boyd said.

“There’s a lot of factors you’ve got to take into account when you get to my experience and age.”

The former captain and two-time All-Australian said he felt “fantastic” health wise after some early season setbacks.

His form has been indicative of that, stil one of the Bulldogs most consistent performers.

He’s relishing his new role as a defender rather than midfielder; in their six point win over St Kilda last round he collected 30 disposals and nine marks.

Among his career highlights, Boyd said that their round five four-point victory over Sydney at the SCG earlier this season was up there.

“It was a significant moment in our journey,” Boyd said.

“It was a pretty famous victory as they’ve shown they’re pretty hard to beat so to get a win with such a young group and such a committed effort that was a pretty significant moment.”