DESPITE not being able to run out beside him, Sam Docherty is working as closely as ever with co-captain Patrick Cripps. 

Following the narrow loss to Gold Coast, the pair pulled senior coach Brendon Bolton aside to chat about reviewing the last five minutes as a group.

“Cripp and I sat down early that week (after the loss) and worked out how we wanted to do it and how we wanted to approach it,” said Docherty

“We sat down with Bolts and shared we wanted to watch the final five minutes as a group and work through that.” 

“It was very beneficial and there were a few tough conversations, but they had to happen and that’s what good football clubs do.”

Since rupturing his ACL during a training session in early December, Docherty has resumed his quasi-coaching role and has been seen instructing from the interchange bench in recent matches.

Docherty’s role on the sidelines has offered him the chance to provide a different insight to his co-captain.

“We are working together very closely; I offer an insight that you don’t usually get from playing in terms of the off-field side,” he said.

“I don’t have the pressure from the performance element, this enables me to focus on different elements we usually wouldn’t see off-field.”

“Consistently throughout the week we have conversations about what happened on the weekend and what we need to do in the week as leaders. There is a fair bit that goes on in the role and I feel we are working well together.”

This is the first year for both Docherty and Cripps as co-captains of the Carlton Football Club after Marc Murphy stepped down as captain at the end of the 2018 season.