Then, almost immediately after landing at the Brisbane Lions via the 2011 AFL National Draft, Docherty underwent hip surgery which delayed the start of his debut season.
This year, the highly rated Phillip Island product seems determined to make the most of his first full AFL pre-season.
Docherty was one of the standouts when the Lions returned to training on Monday - recording the fastest time in the 3 x 300m shuttle run and finishing among the top 10 in the 2km trial time.
His performance on the track certainly caught the attention of Senior Coach Michael Voss, who is expecting big things from the 19 year-old next season.
“He was Pick 12 last season and we didn’t get to see him, so he’s one player that we expect to see plenty of next year,” Voss said.
“Sam looks like he’s come back in really good shape - we’re looking for a big pre-season from him.”
Voss said Docherty was just one example of how much genuine growth still exists on Lions’ playing list.
“He’s played half-back for most of his junior days, and I imagine, certainly in the early parts of his career, that’s where he will stay,” he said.
“He’s got good speed, his ball use, and he can get in and out of traffic really well.”
“He brings another player who can use the footy off half-back. You can never have enough of them.”
