“IN A weird way, I’m grateful for my journey. I’ve grown to be a different person to who I was.”

For some, walking into the Peter Mac Cancer Centre can be a difficult experience, harkening back to difficult times. 

Yet Sam Docherty does so - with regularity - having a smile on his face. 

It’s one which he admits may not be a consistent reaction among the thousands of people that the institute helps every year, but it’s one that stems purely from gratitude. 

He returns every couple of months for scans and blood tests. He's also now an observer to the board of the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation.

The opportunity to give back is one which Docherty will never pass up. 

He admits that when clashes between the two old enemies of Carlton and Collingwood are in the offing, he genuinely looks forward to it. And that’s not just because of what happens on the field, with this year marking 30 years since the first contest for the Peter Mac Cup.

“We’re very lucky - as two of the biggest clubs in Melbourne - to be able to come out and represent not only Peter Mac, but all the people that have cancer, are being treated for cancer or have been lost to cancer,” Docherty said today.

“It’s a pretty significant thing to be able to go out and represent. I feel very privileged to be able to do it, being part of that cohort and hopefully being on the other end of it. 

“It’s a part of the year I look forward to a lot, given my personal touch to it. When I look back, as bad as I was an as crook as I was, I’m very thankful and grateful for this place.”

Docherty’s relationship with Peter Mac started in 2021 when a recurrence of testicular cancer was diagnosed. He underwent treatment during Covid times, where visitors were prohibited.

Back on Monday for a media opportunity which saw Carlton and Collingwood players come together, no conversation, deed or visit is too much for Docherty, whether it’s visiting a young patient going through a tough time, an older one who has supported the Blues for decades or the staff that helped him get to the position he finds himself in today.

From where the Carlton veteran found himself back then to his return to the field in March of 2022, plenty marvelled. Largely for what he was able to produce on the field. 

However, in the eyes of the man himself, his growth has come away from it — and it’s clear how highly he thinks of those who helped him at his lowest point.

“I’ve grown to be a different person to who I was. It’s given me a different perspective to footy, life and everything in between,” he said.

“I never wish the treatment upon anyone, but being able to go through it has given me a great sense of direction and purpose in my life. Part of the reason why I’m with the foundation is to give back to a place that, through my darkest days, gave me a hell of a lot.

“I look back on it now as a catalyst moment in my life that has changed for the better.”

That, by extension, has helped with his football.

Docherty is now a father, with Sam and Nat welcoming Ruby into the world days into the turn of the 2023 year. That purpose and perspective needs no greater introduction.

The chance to sit back, take a deep breath and realise where he’s come from - and where he’s still got to go - fuels the fan favourite.

“It’s given me the chance to step back at times and realise we do live in a bubble. Don’t get me wrong, footy is a really important thing — but in the grand scheme of life, it’s a few rungs down.

“Being able to not get caught up with what happens in Melbourne and in the media, I’ve found that a hell of a lot easier since going through my journey. That’s just part of living your life and your journey, understanding that things will happen to you.

“At the time, it won’t feel that way, but [times like that] are going to be positive in the long run.”