Sam Docherty always thought his body would tell him when to retire, but it was his mind that made the call. After two bouts of cancer, three knee reconstructions, and numerous injuries, his final year at Carlton was exhausting. He was dropped twice, the team struggled, and he felt disrespected and detached. Before he announced his retirement, the club told him they would not offer a new contract.
Life after football
A year on, Docherty does not miss the internal politicking or constant pain. He does not miss worrying about lifting his kids at swimming or going to the pub. But he admits to a void familiar to retired athletes. 'That process-driven, elite-athlete lifestyle, with clear goals, and with everything mapped out – it could be all-consuming at the time,' he says. 'But it's also something I find myself missing in retirement.'
Obsession and addiction
Docherty acknowledges an obsessive streak that helped him recover from hardships but also caused trouble. 'As an athlete, they're great traits to have at times, but they can also be incredibly unhealthy,' he says. 'They definitely helped me in my ability to get back from hard things, especially my obsession with the level of detail.'
A decade of hardship
Docherty's father died of a heart attack at 53 just days after he joined Carlton in 2013. He suffered serious knee injuries, including one that required a second reconstruction. During the pandemic, he discovered a testicular lump that spread to his lymph nodes, lungs, and stomach. He underwent four cycles of chemotherapy, losing weight and hair, and described himself as looking like Gollum.
Return from cancer
Six months after his first chemo cycle, Docherty kicked a goal in the 2022 season opener against Richmond. 'It was just a goal,' he says. 'But I'd been at rock bottom.' He finished second in Carlton's best and fairest that year. 'It was so crazy, so strange, but so satisfying to be representing a large cohort of people I've never actually met,' he says. 'Here I was, a frontman for something bigger than me.'
