Carlton co-captain Sam Docherty brings up 100 games in Navy Blue. Image: carltonfc.com.au
When Sam Docherty runs out onto the MCG on Saturday night he will tick off a milestone which for him has been a long time coming.
After what would have felt like an eternity between games and wondering if the day would ever come, the Carlton skipper will take the field for the 100th time in Navy Blue. 100 times running out representing his boyhood club.
After returning to Melbourne following being drafted by the Brisbane Lions, Docherty has fought particularly hard to get his career back on track and cherishes every time he runs out onto the field.
After missing 2 seasons with successive ACL injuries, Docherty’s return to the field in 2020 was a strange one when he ran out in his return game in front of no fans. After playing all but one game in his return season, Docherty was rocked by a testicular cancer scare in the off-season.
After making a full recovery, the Carlton faithful in Victoria finally got to see the co-captain lead his team out at home in 2021 where the 1 time All Australian defender has slowly returned to his consistent best.
Combining his defensive game with his attacking flair and dash. Showing his true grit, resilience, and leadership and making up for lost time spent out of the game on the sidelines.
Carlton coach David Teague paid tribute to his team’s co-captain ahead of his impending milestone, praising his mental strength, resilience, footy smarts, and just how much he means to this playing group.
” he means a lot [to this group]” Teague told The Inner Sanctum.
“his resilience, his character, his professionalism, the way he has handled himself to get back from his two knee injuries has been something a lot of our players look at and take inspiration from”
“right now we have a couple of guys who are going through similar journeys and it’s great that they have someone who they can reach out to like Sam. Someone who has experienced it all himself.”
As captain of his own football club, Docherty will be looking to lead his team to a win against Port Adelaide on Saturday night at the MCG.
About Author
