WHEN the idea of an accelerated rehab program was pitched to Sam Docherty, those who knew him instantly knew what the answer would be.

Docherty’s race to play finals was well-documented, with the 31-year-old able to complete his ACL rehab in six months, allowing him to be fit and firing for Carlton’s elimination final against Brisbane.

While the result of the game was disappointing, it proved to Docherty that he still has more football in him.

“I’m very proud of all the work that went into getting me back out here, whether that’s in myself or the people behind the scenes that helped me along the way – it’s been a hell of a six months,” Docherty said.

“The whole last six months has been about giving myself an opportunity to play if we got there, and I needed a lot of things to go right.”

Things did finally go right for Docherty, who suffered his third ACL injury in the opening round of the 2024 season.

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He successfully completed his accelerated program, met every checkpoint, and made it back in time for finals – now, he’s focused on 2025.

Docherty acknowledged he wasn’t sure he had another level in him, but he pushed himself mentally and physically to new heights he’d never reached before.

“I don’t know how I was able to jam that amount of rehab into that period of time, but it was something I got to test myself with, got to take my mind and my body to a new spot, which was enjoyable to find new ground in a way,” he said.

“In AFL, if you sit on your heels, then blokes go past you pretty quickly, so I’ll plan where I need to take my game next year to be a better player, and I’ll get after that pretty hard.”

The winger’s comeback game didn’t go as planned, finding it challenging to settle into a tough match.

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Despite this, he recorded 16 disposals, six contested possessions, three intercept possessions, and a goal—a solid performance for someone who hadn’t played a game since March.

Despite the result, Docherty was grateful to be out on the field, prove something to himself, and continue to represent the Club he’s loved since he was a young boy.

“It was a bit of a frustrating game to play on the wing and outside. Just the way the game was played, I probably wasn’t able to play my best game out there,” he said.

“The reality is, to go out there and play again, I’m grateful for every game I get to play for the Club. To be able to go out there and pull on the Navy Blue jumper is something I cherish.”