What they said: Voss' tribute to Doc, previews Hawthorn clash

Ahead of Sam Docherty's last AFL game, Voss reflects on their time together as well as previewing the upcoming clash with the Hawks.

CARLTON'S Round 20 clash with Hawthorn will be the last game Sam Docherty plays in the Navy Blue.

Senior Coach Michael Voss reflected on the journey he's had with the No.15, dating all the way back to his first game at the Brisbane Lions in 2013.

Voss also touches on the forward mix, Harry McKay's return and shuts down speculation around Charlie Curnow.

Here's what he had to say.

On Sam Docherty's retirement announcement:

"He spoke really well yesterday, probably one of the better retirement speeches I’ve heard. We’ve all been taken by his own journey, because his journey - it hasn’t all gone seamless - he’s had a lot of persistence and a lot of grit attached to it, a lot of disappointment, but he’s remained stubborn, resolute, confident all the way through it.

"I think that’s what we get taken by his story. He gets knocked down and he gets back up again. From all those knock downs, there’s a point where you have to accept what the next part of your journey looks like and that's come for him now and become more real for him.

"He made the decision this week about finishing up and what better way to be able to do that and play the Hawks. It’ll be a pretty important moment for the team."

10:27

On using Docherty's retirement as motivation for the Hawthorn clash:

"I think that part has been done. You saw how much he means to us yesterday just by looking at the vision and seeing people in the room, the connection he has with so many people in the room.

"Whether that’s the team that played beside him or that’s our supporters that have been watching him from afar, we’ve all admired what he’s brought to this football club.

"He won’t end on the success that he so dearly wants for this club, that we all want, so the connection is really strong.

"He should also know he leaves with a pretty powerful legacy that we get to build off the back of."

10:27

On Voss' personal connection with Docherty:

"When he was talking yesterday, I had that moment, where I sat there going ‘jeez I actually drafted you at Brisbane’, so coming in and seeing him play his first AFL game and also see and coach his last.

"It’s pretty significant and to be able to see what his journey was at the start. He talked about his father, coming back to Carlton and losing his dad - I think in the first 12 months of being back - was pretty significant.

"Re-connecting back with him, almost the first days I saw him was in a park and he was white and bald and dealing with a really big life challenge, telling me he was going to play Round 1 three months later, which I was more than happy to agree with but silently thinking ‘no chance’. But he did it.

"Every time he set himself with that task, he’s been able to do it. There’s some sort of resolve in there that not many have and he’s been able to dig deep a lot of times and find something extra.

"One of my favourite memories about Doc will be the Round 1, playing against Richmond, the history of the Club, being Round 1, being the first game, his moment and then kicking that goal, it felt like one of the rare times the whole stadium comes together as one and didn’t matter who you barracked for, it was about that moment and that person.

"You don’t get too many times in football and your career when you experience that, but that felt like a real powerful moment when he kicked that goal, and I think we were all standing up and barracking at that time."

05:13

On Docherty's leadership and his connection with Jacob Weitering:

"He’s been a leader. There’s probably been a few walks he didn't want to have, but navigating to get the Club to where he wants it which is standing at the top again and having this sustained success.

"He’s been part of that transformation that we’re creating here in the most recent of times. He’s been a significant person: his council is always sought when we’re trying to do things, and get his thoughts on things, he’s been an important mentor to our leadership group, bringing a different perspective, he’s a deep thinker about the game, and he’s very passionate about this football club.

"We’re hoping that we go out tomorrow and we can do justice to that and as he said, it should also be about 'Weiters’' 200th and he stole a bit of that limelight, but I’m sure 'Weiters' is more than fine with that.

"He’s been a part of the same story and the same journey so the fact that two mates can go out there who are really shaping what’s happened but moreso shaping what it’s going to look like for us moving forward… one finishes but one goes on and honestly, we’ve got a game to play but it’s important for us to acknowledge those two men."

02:17

On Charlie Curnow's trade rumours:

"Charlie is a Carlton man and will stay a Carlton man. I’m not sure how much more emphatic I need to be on that.

"I appreciate these times of the year, especially when you’re not going so well, there will always be some speculation on your players, but it probably ends there for us.

"It’s all speculation, it’s hard to operate and have a conversation on hearsay, so other than to say Charlie is a very important person to us and he’ll play out his career here, he’s a Carlton person and will stay one."

00:56

On any immediate changes under Graham Wright:

"I think the way we operate as clubs, we tend to have a planned strategy around those things, we’ve got a list management committee - of which I am one man in that and so is Graham - as well as our list manager and football manager.

"We plan and strategise that from a long way out and we put that together as a team, that’s the way we’ll continue to do it as we always have and what most clubs would do in the AFL.

"It’s continuing as normal, there’s no change in the way we’re operating, maybe the names at the desk will change because Brian moves out and Graham comes in, but in terms of how we go about list management strategy and our build, everyone will have their input at the right time."

04:44

On the goal for the remainder of the season:

"The Club has been very strong on making sure this is about our performance to the end of the year and that’s the way we’re going to approach it.

"There’s no protecting or trying to predict about what happens next. It’s about what we need to do over the next four or five weeks and we’re all pretty locked in on that one.

"We collectively believe that’s the way to go and that's what we’re going to treat it like."

02:48

On Harry McKay and the forward mix:

"He’s ready to go, he’s available, so he’ll play. You’ll probably ask me if that’s two rucks or one ruck but I’l let that one play out.

"We’ve got to treat this period of time to be able to find out even more about ourselves as well, so that’s how we’ll do that.

"We’ve been able to find that out last week through some youth and see some exciting parts. I don’t think you can wipe the smile off Ashton’s face the whole time he’s around the Club, he loves playing AFL, he’s the guy that wants the moment and wants to kick a goal.

"He’s rapt to be out there, so we’ll get an idea of what that youth looks like and gives us the opportunity to do a couple of different things with what the team looks like."

03:00

On Sam Walsh's timeline:

"He probably hasn’t progressed to the level we need him to, even though in the last couple of days he has started to get going a bit more. We’ll probably have to make some calls in the next week or two on that .

"The window is closing but we'll finish off the season as strong as we can, so if that means we get one or two games into him, we’ll be looking for that."

On playing McKay, De Koning and Pittonet in the same team:

"We’ll look a bit taller. There’s no complaints here, we’re trying to find what that forward mix will look like, this will be a different look altogether again.

"We’ll use this period of time to see where we progress, what are the roles we need to see but also opportunities as well.

"Being able to play 'Pitto' and play Tom and both get time in the ruck adds power around the middle of the ground for us.

"We’ve just got to work out what that time looks like, how much they spend on ball v how much they spend forward. We’ve got to get that balance right."

Click here to read article