Picking Sam Docherty was a no-brainer for the Blues… and here are two obvious reasons by StuffsEarth

The Blues simply had to play Sam Docherty, didn’t they?

Toughness in our league isn’t what the oldheads once thought it was. It isn’t running past the ball and flattening blokes. It isn’t slinging the opposition into the ground.

Leaving a mark on the opposition was the aim of the game once upon a time and if you either did it, or withstood it, you were known as “tough”.

That’s not tough.

Toughness is exhibiting mental strength, and enduring difficult times with great fortitude to overcome challenges.

Toughness is just as much about emotions and empathy as it is through any physical metric, like just getting out onto the field.

Docherty did his ACL in the Opening Round of this season, his third.

Now, he’s back for the Elimination Final against his former club, the Lions.

Not even the infamous LARS procedure that took the competition by storm a decade ago was this effective. This truly is extraordinary.

We know his battles, multiple ACLs, multiple battles with testicular cancer. It’s barely fathomable that he’s playing tomorrow night, but he’s just what the Blues might need.

Sam Docherty is tough in every sense of the modern, and correct, interpretation of the word, and he’s an inspiration to many.

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It’s why his selection was almost mandatory, for a multitude of reasons.

Carlton has struggled, barely limping into a finals spot.

We only covered the Blues a couple of weeks ago in this very spot, so we don’t need to explore their deficiencies again so soon, but one other thing that has at times stood out is a bit of selfish play through the season.

When things get tough, players assume more individual responsibility, or at least feel that way.

That’s not uncommon across the competition, it’s just happened at the Blues a bit more in recent times.

If you frequent social media, you’ll have seen the reaction of the Carlton playing group to Patrick Cripps breaking the news of Docherty’s return.

Excitement, emotion, joy.

That’s one-half of the idea behind the selection.

Docherty is a heart-and-soul player at the Carlton Football Club whose mentorship has been immeasurable and whose standard-setting as both a footballer and a person, has him as a modern-day legend of the club.

Any tinge of selfish football on Saturday night goes away with the veteran’s inclusion into the team.

Perspective tends to be lost in football when a team is losing, especially at a big club. The heat’s turned up, the pressure is on and victory tends to be the only measure of success expected of a group.

Well, the Blues are without a doubt up against it, taking on the underwhelming, yet consistently dangerous Lions at the Gabba.

Even with a few stars returning, trying to get the very best out of a group with a host of changes is difficult.

That’s where the emotional, spiritual boost comes into play. Finals footy is a different game, every competitive advantage that can be had, must be used.

We know what happened the Blues played Brisbane in a final, the fast start, the fadeaway. It didn’t finish well, yet it was the right approach.

If Carlton breaks from their team huddle, having inevitably listened to a final message from Docherty before the siren sounds, and they’re not looking like the completely dominant side in the opening minutes of the game, something will have gone wrong.

This is the boost the Blues needed and the fact Docherty has got his body into this position to be available for selection is simply enormous.

Then, there’s the second half of the selection equation.

For everything that has been said, Docherty hasn’t simply been picked because it’s a good story and hopefully, a mental boost for everyone.

This is an All-Australian talent, a best-and-fairest winner, a former captain of the club.

The Blues found something in the latter stages of the season without their key forwards, trying to exploit the hit-up leads and use the ground-level game, rather than relying on contested marks.

The 30-year-old was and certainly has slowly graduated to a more advanced role, higher up the ground.

Last season he had 17 scoring shots and 15 goal assists, with career-highs in those categories, inside 50s and even clearances.

Now, given everything, he won’t be needed at stoppages and certainly, we can expect to see him behind the ball at times, but the Blues desperately need an elite kick to occupy the half-forward/wing position, to keep their width and really maximise the hit-up kick heading inside 50.

It’s important to note that in the last five weeks, Brisbane conceded the most marks on a lead of any finalist – they adore defending the high ball to a fault.

No player on Carlton’s list is more adept and suitable to the role than Docherty, who has been in the top five for effective disposals over the past few seasons consistently.

Even coming out of defence, he was at least above average for score involvements in every season.

Chains have tended to either start with or heavily involve the returning star. That alone is as influential a factor as any to justify his selection.

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(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

There’s the leadership aspect, the inherent trust when the ball is in his hands and the underlying knowledge that Docherty will make the right decisions and always do what’s best for the team that all can have a domino effect on the team.

Of course, when the ball bounces on Saturday night for the Brisbane-Carlton game, no matter at what stage of the match it may be, we will all be hoping for the very best for Docherty.

There’ll be nerves from even the most anti-Carlton people for his first possession and indeed, whenever he goes near the ball.

The first hope will be that he gets through unscathed. The second will be that we see the Docherty of old.

And we can trust that we will – he hasn’t been one to come back early from injuries to selfishly feature.

Carlton’s avenue to beating Brisbane will be a fast start and to limit the number of high balls and contested marking situations they create offensively, which flies in the face of what they’ve done this season.

It’s only in recent times, without Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, that it has changed. This is the way to limit Harris Andrews’ inevitable aerial dominance.

The right mentality too, can set the tone for a playing group.

Without Docherty, this was a team that knew it was lucky to make finals and faced with a daunting challenge, might’ve barely shown up.

By selecting Docherty, not only have the Blues included a player that perfectly suits the altered approach necessary to compete against the Lions, but a person that can singlehandedly change the mindset of an entire list.

They’re up against it, but Carlton has the quality and skill to beat Brisbane and advance in September, with their tough, inspirational star nestled safely in their 23.

More than anything though, it’s just going to be a pleasure to be able to watch Sam Docherty be on our screens again and be showered with the universal love and respect he deserves.

The Blues made the right decision to pick Docherty, win or lose.

They just had to do it.