Sam in line for leadership award

Former Phillip Islander, Carlton AFL player Sam Docherty is one of four finalists in this year’s Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award.

Docherty is a finalist alongside Bailey Banfield (Fremantle), Ben Brown (Melbourne) and Harry Cunningham (Sydney Swans).

Now in its 12th year, the prestigious award will be presented to the player who has best demonstrated the values of late Melbourne champion and former Demons President, Jim Stynes. This award goes to the heart of the sport, recognising those who are committed to helping others and making a difference in the community, and the way they represent the game on and off the field.

Sam Docherty has provided a beacon of hope to those in the community battling illness after recovering twice from testicular cancer, with his inspirational story leading to multiple fundraising campaigns within the football community.

Launched in 2021 the ‘Do It for Doc’ initiative not only helped raise $220,000 for the Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation to support life-saving cancer research, but his voice and position also encouraged more people in the community to book a checkup with their doctor.

Docherty now holds a voluntary role as an Observer on the Board of the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation and is an ambassador for the Peter Mac Cup, which takes place between Carlton and Collingwood every year and is the longest-running charity match in the AFL.

The defender and former Blues co-captain is also an ambassador for Paws4Kids which is a program run through MacKillop Family Services. This initiative allows more vulnerable children to get back to the classroom through the support of therapy dogs.

Doc helped Carlton team up with North Melbourne and fellow cancer survivor, Ben Cunnington, to create the first Good Friday Superclash, ultimately raising more than $200,000 for the Good Friday Appeal and drawing the biggest crowd attendance in this fixture’s history of 49,062.

The 2023 Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award will be presented during the broadcast of the 2023 Brownlow Medal on Monday, September 25.