IT WAS appropriate that Sam Docherty’s return game was between Carlton and Richmond.
After all, it was the game he headed to most often as a young Bluebagger.
Growing up in Phillip Island, Docherty cited the influence of his dad in becoming “Blues-mad”.
Writing for the Herald Sun, he said the fixture between Blues and Tigers was always one where bragging rights were on the line.
“I was brainwashed from birth into supporting Carlton by my Blues-mad father, Eddie,” Docherty said.
“A lot of our close friends were Richmond fans, so whenever the two sides met it was a big deal.
“We didn’t have a whole heap of money to be able to go to games in Melbourne, so when we did make the odd trek it was a huge occasion.”
Little did Docherty know that the game would hold such significance for him later in life, having played his first AFL match in nearly 1,000 days against Richmond at the MCG in March.
At the time, a career in football seemed a world away. But it’s clear that Docherty isn’t too far removed from the kid who started out at the Phillip Island Bulldogs junior football club.
“It was our life,” he said.
“Those bus trips remain some of my fondest childhood memories and, now playing for Carlton, I’m always reminded of those days each time we face the Tigers.
“It was a great place to grow up, but the bright lights of the AFL certainly feel a million miles away when you’re in the country. Playing in the AFL felt like a pipe dream at best.”
“Winning the Blues’ best and fairest and becoming a club captain has meant so much to me because it means my surname is etched in the Carlton history.
— Carlton FC (at ??) (@CarltonFC) May 4, 2020
“That means [Dad's] legacy is etched to it as well, and always will be.”
Of course, one of the players who a 10-year-old Docherty would have watched was David Teague.
The two careers in Navy Blue were linked from the outset, and not just because of their respective statuses as coach and co-captain: Docherty wears the No.15 which Teague wore in his three years at Carlton.
“I love the way he coaches our group, but I still don’t understand his jokes,” he said.
“Dad jokes are definitely part of his repertoire, but in all seriousness I truly believe he is the perfect coach to take our group to success in the future.
“I didn’t see him through a player’s lens [last year] but more through a coach’s lens… I have great respect for his authenticity and ability to stick to his guns.”
The full feature can be read in the Sunday Herald Sun (3 May), or at this link for Herald Sun subscribers.
