In 2004 he broke his leg in a freak pre-season training drill injury, and in 2005 a torn hamstring limited him to just three games.
He played as a neat and valuable foil for Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead in a triple-prong Hawthorn forward line.
Clean hands and accurate kicking were hallmarks of Boyle's game, though his leisurely demeanour and playing style limited his level of physical presence in contests.
Boyle ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament on his right knee playing for the Hawks’ VFL side in May 2009.
[2] His father is Stephen Boyle, who played six games for Footscray Football Club in 1972 before losing sight in one eye in a freak accident on the field.