Through the 2021 off-season, some players have had to face more challenging circumstances than others.
Carlton co-captain Sam Docherty was diagnosed with his second bout of testicular cancer in August of 2021 after having surgery to remove a malignant testicular tumour in late 2020.
Docherty took to Instagram to share the sad news. "Unfortunately life has thrown another curveball my way and my testicular cancer has recurred, sadly meaning that I will need to undergo a round of chemotherapy," he wrote.
A number of Docherty's teammates are set to shave their heads in a show of support to their fearless leader on Friday 8th of October.
Docherty's co-captain Patrick Cripps has led the campaign, which will see all funds raised donated to the Peter Mac Foundation.
โOne of our own, Sam Docherty, is currently fighting a battle and as a club and broader community, we are wanting to show our support for him and the Peter Mac Foundation,โ Cripps said.
"The Peter Mac Foundation has been a big supporter of Doch... They're also doing their bit to cure cancer.
โThank you in advance for your generosity, and we canโt wait to see a few shaved heads getting around in support.โ
A number of social media posts followed, with both current and ex-teammates showing their support for Docherty.
Through social media, Docherty shared a health update.
"I am feeling great! Although there are some tough periods, I am managing really well and have powered through the first half of my treatment" Docherty said.
Both the club and Sam have shared a link for anyone who wishes to donate ahead of 'shave day' this coming Friday.
