What It Takes

by Sam Docherty, Konrad Marshall (Other)

The inspirational memoir of the former Carlton Football Club captain who twice survived cancer, returning to the game braver and stronger after each recovery.

Sam Docherty was the heart of Carlton Football Club during his 171-game career. Born to a footy obsessed family on Phillip Island, Sam grew up with dreams of playing for his beloved Carlton, a dream that finally came true in 2012 after a short stint at Brisbane Lions. 

Despite injuries blighting his start to the club, he soon became a star fixture for the Blues, becoming a John Nicholls Medalist in 2016, All-Australian in 2017 and appointed as co-captain of Carlton from 2019 to 2021. But off field, things weren’t always so easy.

In that time, he overcame testicular cancer twice, at one point returning to the field a mere eight weeks after finishing chemotherapy. Refusing to let his illness define him, Docherty used his time on the sidelines to mentor and coach his teammates, always looking for a silver lining – and becoming an inspiration to the country in the process.

Full of never-before-told anecdotes from the MCG, this is a story of true heroism, grit, and the wisdom that comes when you’ve faced the worst. 

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2026

Reviews

[Josh]

An honest and uplifting look at the life of one of Carlton's most loved players, and arguably the AFL as a whole.

From the impact football had on him in his childhood to playing for his beloved team, Sam and Konrad do a tremendous job of taking us through all the most significant moments of his life thus far, both on and off the field, good and bad.

Sam navigates debilitating grief, mental health struggles and addiction alongside repeated injuries, rehabilitation and cancer diagnoses. We also get a first-hand account of his often topsy-turvy, "on again, off again" relationship with the Carlton Football Club. We learn about him as a human, not just a footy player, and his motivation to keep going in the face of crushing adversity.

Personally, this was an incredibly inspiring read. I genuinely felt Sam's resilience and determination in these pages. AFL fans will come away from this with a great understanding of the man behind the football.

[Jessica]

This is an absolutely incredible honest and brave book. But I wouldn't expect anything less.
'Doc' has been such an inspiration for not only the footy world but all those who have fought cancer or dealt with an injury.
As someone who also lost her Dad unexpectedly and him being of a youngish age too, some of these stories just had me in tears.
Go the mighty Blues! 💙🤍

[Peter Holz]

The trouble with sports biographies is that they probably only appeal to fans of that particular sport and, in this case, fans of that particular club. There was the usual, "I was born at a very early age", and had this many possessions and kicked this many goals but, I will happily confess, that Doc's recounting of the 2023 semi final against Melbourne gave me goose bumps all over again. But then I am a fan of that particular club. However, my main motivation in reading the book was to find out how he managed to overcome three knee reconstructions and two bouts of testicular cancer. What emerged was a man of incredible resilience, determination, courage and positivity who was not afraid to admit to the dark times he went through and that it takes a village of friends and family to successfully navigate life's minefield. I also enjoyed the additional perspectives provided in the chapters authored by his mother, wife, the great man (Patrick Cripps), the high performance director (Andrew Russell) and his manager (Matt Bain) that were peppered throughout the book

[Robbo]

What a story about a kid from Phillip Island who plays at the AFL club of his dreams, Carlton. Real insight into the difficulties that come with injuries and other setbacks. Raw honesty and emotion comes thru with his discussion of his cancer and recovery. Not the usual discussion of coaches, players and wins and losses, more about the journey and what a roller-coaster it is. This Guy is one mentally tough individual, but more than comfortable expressing his vulnerability.

[Jose Lou]

Inspiring, heartfelt, raw and intense. As a Blue tragic of course I was going to love this book. But anyone who wants to get an insight into the sacrifices that professional sports people and their families have to make and the incredible hurdles Sam had to overcome will find this book compelling.

[Reader]

Very to the point. Honesty. What you see, is what you get with Sam. Down to earth. It one of life’s humongous hurdles, surviving cancer once. Let alone a repeat set of it! But to come out of it, looking forward to the future.

[Steph]

Usually I find it a little bit of a slug to get through biographies, but I flew through this one. Doc has an incredible story, anybody in the footy world knows it, and knows it pretty well, but reading it in his words is pretty special.

[Janine]

I read this because I like him on podcasts talking about footy. His story is inspirational and harrowing. Carlton don't come out of this well. Treated him poorly. Great book for AFL fans.

[ellie ❦]

★★★★★
doc come back please the carlton fans miss you.