Former Carlton co-captain Sam Docherty has ticked another box along his road to recovery from testicular cancer treatment after starring in match simulation on Saturday.
Reports from Zero Hanger's Jake Benoiton claim that not only was Docherty looking like his old self off half-back at Princes Park, the 28-year-old had also added some size back to his frame that had been hit by recent chemotherapy treatments.
Not content just to star with ball in hand, the ex-Lion also exhibited a return to pace by turning in some top-speed laps of the Royal Parade venue before hitting the showers.
While Docherty's presence back at training is enough to warm the hearts of fans from every creed, Saturday's open session must have been bittersweet for the half-back flanker as it also saw the official end of his tenure as captain.
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Having notified the club that he would be stepping down from the role that he had shared with newly-minted solo skipper Patrick Cripps since 2019, Docherty is expected to use any extra time gained focusing on his thorough rehabilitation.
Speaking after the gruelling session, Cripps saw fit to heap praise on his former leadership partner.
"He [Docherty] was nearly best on today," the 26-year-old said.
"He's one of the best blokes you'll meet. He's resilient [and] gives a lot of people time. He's one of my best mates.
"Although he doesn't have the 'C' next to his name, he's going to be a leader for his team, and to be honest, I can't speak highly enough of 'Doc'. Just to see him out there today was pretty special."
Cripps also confirmed that Docherty's "body weight was about the same as it was pre-chemo".
Despite the boost the defender is providing Michael Voss' playing group on the track, Carlton is yet to provide a detailed timeline for Docherty's AFL return.