Sam Docherty’s Return to Carlton and the Power of Community
Sam Docherty has been welcomed back into the Carlton fold, with captain Patrick Cripps emphasizing that there are no hard feelings towards the retired star despite his expletive-laden criticism of his former club.
Docherty, a two-time testicular cancer survivor, had previously labeled the Blues a “fing sshow” in a private voice message that was leaked by ex-teammate Daniel Gorringe last month. This led to him being withdrawn from speaking duties at a club function the following week. However, he was present to help Carlton and Collingwood launch their long-standing annual charity match on Monday, which supports the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation.
Cripps highlighted Docherty’s positive contributions, stating:
“He’s good. I chat to Doc all the time and he does a great amount of work for Peter Mac, but obviously with his story as well it makes this game extra special for us. We saw what he went through with his battle and we also saw the power of community when people come together to support a mate when they need it. That’s why this round’s so special. It puts a spotlight on things that are much bigger than the game itself.”
Docherty, who retired at the end of last season, sparked controversy with his raw criticism of Carlton’s game style in a rant that followed their season-opening loss to Sydney. The assessment was sent in a private voice message to content creator Gorringe, who then aired it on social media without his former teammate’s knowledge.
Cripps addressed the situation, saying:
“Yeah, I chatted to him, but at the end of the day those comments weren’t meant to get aired. People look at it in two ways but realistically he did that in a private sort of setting. I chat to Doc all the time, I have no hard feelings towards Doc, and we’ve moved on from that.”
Docherty’s criticism unintentionally added to a fierce blowtorch that has been on Carlton all season, with intense scrutiny on coach Michael Voss in the final year of his contract.
The Blues carry a 1-4 record into their clash with Collingwood at the MCG on Thursday night, and have struggled against their traditional rivals in recent seasons. The Magpies have won the last four meetings and seven of eight since 2022, when former Brisbane Lions teammates Voss and Craig McRae took over as coaches of the two sides.
Cripps expressed his determination to beat Collingwood:
“There’s nothing more that I love than beating the Pies. You love winning every game but there’s certainly a little bit more when you beat your rivals. We’re well aware that they’ve probably had the wood on us the last couple of years but we’re looking to change that on Thursday.”
Cripps also spoke about the call to drop reigning best-and-fairest winner George Hewett for last week’s loss to Adelaide. He backed the experienced ball-winner to bounce back, but deferred questions about team selection to Voss.
“You feel for him because you see the work he puts in and he put the team ahead of everything because of the way he showed up. He created a real positive energy, which is what you want to see when guys don’t get the opportunity. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and he’ll play a lot of footy for us this year.”
