THE road to game 100 has been a long one for Carlton co-captain Sam Docherty.

Enjoying his first year captaining his side on-field after two years sidelined with consecutive knee reconstructions, the milestone is another tick in overcoming a challenging journey of injury setbacks.

Speaking to media ahead of the Round 8 clash with North Melbourne, the co-captain reflected on the journey to this point.

“Obviously it’s taken a fair bit longer than I thought it would have, given the circumstances with my knees, but there’s an added significance because of the time I’ve spent away from the game,” Docherty said.

“I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times during those two years off that I didn’t think that I was going to get here in the end.”

Having been stranded on 92 games at the end of 2017, it's the third time lucky for Docherty, who admitted he had been eyeing Round 8 in the fixture for the last three years.

There's a sense of irony that Docherty's 100th game will come at the Gabba: the home of the club where he made his start, the Brisbane Lions.

Despite being a strong influence among a young Blues contingent, the three-figure milestone continued to elude Docherty over the last two seasons.

“It was one of those things I did every year. I picked where Round 8 was going to be for the last two years and unfortunately it didn’t happen,” he said.

“Getting to the three figures is obviously a significant milestone for myself, but my wife at home: she’s been through a fair bit of this stuff with me.

“It’s exciting times and I’m rapt to be able to run out there.”

Seven rounds into his 2020 return in a season that’s been like no other, Docherty has remained focused on performing his role for the team.

With a view to constantly improve, the skipper has been able to implement his learnings from his time out of the game to running back out this year.

“Obviously it was a long time off and probably the toughest thing has been just been getting my touch back in game,” he said.

“I feel like I’ve come back and performed my role in the team. As every AFL player is, you’re always looking for that extra bit.

“I’ve learnt a lot more about my mental health and my teammates. Being able to come back as a leader of the Club and being able to read the group and help the group as much as I can.”