Carlton have confirmed Sam Docherty will face Brisbane in Saturday's elimination final, marking a spectacular turnaround for the veteran defender who suffered an ACL injury in March.
Docherty's 2024 campaign looked to be over after the Opening Round when the former Blues captain suffered a serious knee injury, which often requires close to 12 months of recovery.
A late-season return was said to be in consideration for the 30-year-old in recent weeks, with Docherty having been part of Michael Voss' training program as the Blues looked to secure a finals placing.
Any return was likely to come no earlier than September, and with Carlton locking in an elimination final against Brisbane for this weekend, Docherty's chances of a stunning return game remained alive.
The club has now confirmed that their fearless leader will suit up in navy blue on Saturday when Carlton faces the Lions at the Gabba, making it 183 days between appearances for Docherty.
Carlton are expected to make at least five changes for their first final, with Charlie Curnow (ankle), Harry McKay (quad), Mitch McGovern (hamstring), Tom De Koning (foot) and Zac Williams (hamstring) also in the mix to return from injury.
Duo Adam Cerra and Jack Martin are both outside chances to face the Lions following recent hamstring concerns.
Carlton will name its 23-man side to face Brisbane on Thursday at 6:20pm (AEST), while Voss' final squad will be locked in an hour out from Saturday's 7:30pm bounce.
