Michael Voss resigned from his position as head coach of Carlton during the week, but his recent comments regarding former Blues skipper Sam Docherty have caught the eye of the man himself.
During an interview on Tuesday, Voss said that, "(Docherty) should just know better about what it's like to be that person inside the building", in response to Docherty's leaked voice note that was released earlier in the year, which criticised the Blues and Voss.
Speaking on 3AW on Saturday, Docherty, who moved into a media role this year, defended himself.
"I think (Voss) is referring to the voice note," Docherty said on 3AW.
"If he is referring to my whole media commentary, I find that a bit hard to cope with.
"If he is going off the voice note to Dan Gorringe, he is jumping to conclusions that I sent that to him and wanted it to be aired, which we have been through back in Round 1, that yeah, I didn't want that aired. So of course, it wasn't at my insightful best when I'm talking to a mate over a voice note.
"I texted him after the voice note came out, and it was amicable. I said, 'I'm not coming for you, I'm not chasing headlines.
"He said, 'No worries, I get it. I'm just protecting my people at the footy club.' Which that's fine.
"But if you are going off any other commentary around the club, I think I have been fair, I think I have been just. I have come into this industry with the sense of trying to give an opinion without slamming anyone, and I feel like I have done that to the best of my ability.
"I haven't jumped on like a lot have in the media on the club and on Vossy. I've actually backed him in to not get sacked in Round 4 when everyone was calling that."
While he said his relationship with Voss remained intact after the 32-year-old retired last season, Docherty did say he was hurt when Voss arrived at the club and removed the defender and former captain from the leadership group.
"I always had a great respect for 'Vossy' as a coach," he said.
"There are elements of when he came to Carlton and the shift away from me being in the leadership group. My opinion wasn't as valued as it was prior to that; that's okay. That's his decision as the coach.
"After going through cancer, that was the decision that the club made, and I never kicked up a fuss; I never made a big deal of it. I still led the footy club as well as I possibly could.
"There was a narrative around my health. I wanted to still lead the footy club, that's what I love doing. More than happy to step down from the captaincy at that time, but I loved leading the club, and it took some time adjusting, definitely.
"I'm old enough and wise enough in footy that that's what happens.
"I've got full respect for him, and I think he handled himself, actually amazingly, through the week, apart from the parting shot at me in his little presser. But other than that, I thought he handled himself amazingly across the whole year, really. I've got a lot of admiration for him."
