SAM DOCHERTY is determined to turn his wrecked 2018 into a year of positive personal development, after taking advice from former Brisbane Lions teammate and two-time knee reconstruction victim Brent Staker.
Docherty, 24, was dealt a devastating blow last month when he ruptured his left anterior cruciate ligament in a simple direction change at training, after breakout back-to-back seasons.
The Carlton defender underwent a traditional knee reconstruction, and is resigned to missing the entire 2018 campaign.
After he initially went into denial about the severity of his injury and then dealt with the stress and heartache of the long rehabilitation in front of him, Docherty said he was now feeling more optimistic.
"There's plenty of positives to come out of having nine to 12 months off the field, and it's the opportunity to do things I've never done before and develop as a person," Docherty told the AFLPA website.
"A former teammate of mine at the Lions, Brent Staker, who has been through a few of these, told me this will be the best year of my career in terms of developing as a person and as a player.
"He said I'll get more out of this 12 months than I would've thought."
The two were teammates in 2012-13, before Docherty was traded to Carton.
Staker retired in 2015 after a raft of injuries, including two knee reconstructions in 2011, and 160 AFL games.
The Blues have encouraged Docherty to spend time away from the club "every four to five weeks" during his rehab, to help ensure his mental health remains in good shape.
He's planning on going to the US in February with manager Matt Bain for coaching and leadership development opportunities, and will also visit a well-known ACL specialist while he's there.
"I want to experience more of other professional environments and go to a few conferences to enhance my personal development," he said.
"I want to bring some experiences back with me that can help me and the club."
Docherty spoke openly about the emotional side of the injury, the "weirdest day of my life", and how it all affected his partner Nat, who had to leave work early after being told of the news.
But he said his mum Annabel brought him back to reality, with the family having endured genuine tragedy four years ago when Sam's dad died.
Eddie Docherty passed away suddenly from a heart attack at the end of 2013, while Sam was in Arizona on a training camp with his brand-new Carlton teammates.
"I remember mum putting things into perspective for me on the phone because we, as a family, have been through a lot worse in a life sense when my dad passed away while I was overseas," he said.
"If this injury had happened five years ago, I guarantee I would've reacted a lot differently.
"The reality of the situation is that usually one player, per club, per season ruptures their ACL, but it's not as if I haven't seen teammates or other players successfully return to the field.
"I don't know how I'll go when the AFL season kicks off. I'm what they call a 'footy-head' and the biggest unknown for me will be how I react to my teammates running out onto the field.
"I'm sure this year will have its moments of frustration, but I'm excited to freshen up and return a better player and person."
