Sam Docherty puts nine months of cancer misery behind him with his first goal of the season i

Sam Docherty capped a miraculous return to AFL action with a stunning goal during Cartlon’s season opener against Richmond at the MCG on Thursday night.

The former Blues captain put the Blues 37-29 up with just over seven minutes left in the second quarter just eight months after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

With Carlton leading by two points after a quick-fire double by captain Patrick Cripps helped them erase a 20-point first quarter deficit, Docherty nailed a 30-metre kick to score his first goal since Round 10 in 2017.

The former Blues captain was mobbed by teammates after he grabbed a goal on Thursday

Carlton fans at the MCG met the score with a raucous reception, while Docherty was engulfed by his teammates as he celebrated his first goal of the season, a moment which seemed absolutely unthinkable back in August. 

Speaking earlier this week, Blues coach Michael Voss admitted that when he first met the defender in early October, he didn’t think it would be possible for the 28-year-old to feature in the curtain-raiser. 

‘It’s an incredible story,’ Voss told The Herald Sun.

‘One of the first things I did when I was appointed was go around and visit Doch and he was in treatment at that particular time. 

Docherty has beaten cancer twice and his return to footy is already one of the stories of the new AFL season so far 

The 28-year-old has faced testicular cancer twice in his life and beaten it both times

‘I sat on the park bench and just talked about life, talking about where he was at and what he wanted to do and he said, ‘I want to play Round 1’.

‘I couldn’t believe that he was actually even thinking about that, I tried to give him some encouragement but I was thinking, ‘This would be remarkable if he could do that’.

‘And here he is. It is really testament to the person and how resilient he is and how determined he is.’