De Boer was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia alongside his 3 brothers, Scott, Chris and Mitch. He played his junior football at Swanbourne JFC before progressing into the WAFL system where he played for Claremont. De Boer represented Western Australia at the 2008 AFL under 18 Championships where he excelled and earned himself selection into the All-Australian Team.

De Boer was drafted by the Fremantle Dockers in the 2009 AFL Rookie Draft and was quick to make the most of his opportunity by setting the tone with his strong work ethic. He went on to play 138 games at the Dockers across 8 seasons and was named Best Clubman in 2010 and 2011. After being delisted by the Dockers, De Boer was drafted by the GWS Giants with pick 58 in the 2016 Draft. He made an immediate impact on the young GWS list and he became swiftly became renowned for his selfless role playing, restricting some of the best players in the AFL. De Boer’s exceptional leadership qualities were recognised and he was added to the GWS leadership group in 2018. He went on to play his 200th AFL game in round 17 of the 2020 season, which is a true inspiration to many after the hurdles he has faced a long the way. Off field De Boer has worked hard on a Commerce Degree and has undertaken a number of business and boardroom opportunities. The leadership style he has developed on field he has also expanded into the corporate field where has done a number of key notes and leadership presentations.