FOLLOWING his announcement to his teammates, Sam Docherty sat down with Carlton Media to reflect on the immediate aftermath of his decision.

Speaking on his career, his personal challenges and how much Carlton means to him, Docherty gives insight into his life so far and what is next for him.

Here's what he had to say. 

On making the decision to play his last game this week: 

"I’m a bit all over the place at the moment. It’s been a big few days, few months to be fair. I’m excited, I’m relieved, it’s all just mixed up at the moment.

"I think playing on 'Weiters’' 200th game is very special to me. The opportunity to run out with my family - Myles has never gone out, Ruby was a baby on my 150th - so to have that memory and I’ve loved every minute of pulling on the Carlton jumper every time I’ve played.

"Inevitably, this is the best opportunity I’ve got to do everything I want to do and finish off the way I want to finish off. I’m probably more excited but there’s definitely a sense of relief that I don’t have to hold this stuff in anymore.

"I’ve been tossing and turning, up and back, should I go on or should I stay? It feels like the right time, which is something that I’m enjoying."

On presenting to the playing group and staff: 

"It’s an emotional time, I’ve had so many people help me across my career, my career has not been - a fairy tale in some aspects yes - but there’s been a lot of hard work in there, a lot of hurdles to overcome.

"That doesn’t happen with just me, there’s a lot of people in the background that do all the work to produce me getting back out there, and to be able to thank them and a few of them were a bit teary, and I definitely was as well.

"Still got the press conference to come, I haven’t even mentioned my family or anyone yet so it’s an emotional day. I’ve been an anxious wreck the whole morning trying to look after the kids at home, it’s been a bit chaotic but I’ve got out everything I wanted to get out.

"I’m excited for the Club to go on the next path for them and sit back and watch and enjoy, I’m very much looking forward to it."

On finishing his career on his own terms: 

"When I did my rehab last year, I’d accepted that if I did my ACL again, I was done. That’s probably the earliest time, at the start of last year, that I was close.

"That’s very me though, I put everything into something and understand all the risks. To be able to go out now with my body feeling reasonably well, playing reasonably good footy, not my absolute best, but it feels like a good time.

"I have said for a number of years around going out on my own terms and it feels like the best opportunity for me and the footy club to get what we both want in the end.

"There’s a lot of reflecting at the moment, you can’t prepare yourself for these kinds of moments, but I’m incredibly proud, a lot of thank yous at the moment and a lot of love in the air."

On when the most reflection will take place: 

"I think post-Thursday night will be the majority of it. I’ve started to, I alluded to 'Crippa' that I was likely to finish up this week to him last week, and he’s been reflecting – he had a dream about me the other week, the creep.

"Everything I’ve reflected on so far is just the people within footy clubs. I remember listening to Ed Curnow’s retirement speech that went for four hours, but he just thanked everybody.

"I think that sentiment has come up more for me when I’m coming through it. I’m so lucky to have met so many great people, there’s nearly 100 debutants since I debuted at the Club, staff, coaches, everyone.

"The memories you make are because of those people, take away the playing the game, that’s only one day a week, the rest is behind closed doors and the memories, the stories and everything.

"I’ve already got texts flooding through on my phone, remembering things from certain times in my career. It’ll be nice to sit back and enjoy the moment after this weekend’s game."

On the life experience in his time at Carlton: 

"I’ve packed in a few, I’m writing a keynote if anyone wants to get me into their office next year. It’s a weird one.

"It’s been a hard journey, it’s been a hard 14-15 years, both personally and professionally and for all of that to play out publicly has its challenges.

"It has some amazing parts to it, I’m one of the very few players across their career that has support from all clubs, I’ve got Collingwood fans and Essendon fans that love me, which is bizarre.

"I spoke about it with the boys before, but part of the reason I’ve played footy for as long as I have since the cancer diagnosis, has been about providing hope for people.

"I feel like I ended up - through my experiences - being this person that if you believe you can do it, then you can. I love that about my job, I love that about my life, it won’t end now, it’ll keep going into the future and it’s a pretty special thing to have."

On the lessons learnt through his career and his football obsession: 

"I’ve been humbled, I’ve been given a lot of perspective. Some might say I should’ve learnt earlier and I wouldn’t have had so much but I loved footy at the start and that obsession with footy is what got me where I am.

"The humility and the perspective, that’s what made me what I am. I leave footy with such a diverse experience that not many players get. I’ve had the highs of captaining the club and personal accolades and fighting back from all sorts of injures and illnesses.

"I’ve had the lows of horrible losses, finding out I’ve done my knee three times, cancer diagnosis, my dad passing away. My whole career has been a hot mess at times but weirdly I wouldn’t change it because I leave with a great perspective on life.

"If you take footy away, that’s what I’ll take with me, that’s the special gift footy has given me that I get to pass onto my kids and pass onto people in the real world.

"I’m very lucky and very happy with where things are and the decision I’ve made and I’m looking forward to one more time pulling on the jumper, it’s something I hold very dearly.

"Having had a lot of games taken away from me, it’s something I cherish every one, I don’t take a single one for granted. Hopefully, we can get a win and send me off in the right way."

On growing up quickly after his father's passing: 

"In some ways, I haven’t grown up at all, but footy keeps you youthful and that’s the exciting part of it. Losing my dad in my first pre-season here with a bunch of people I didn’t know on the other side of the world in Arizona, it was one hell of an experience. 

"It forced me to grow up, it forced me to have that purpose in what I was doing, which I probably didn’t have back then. Looking back, my dad was a mad Carlton supporter, to have my name, which is his name, as a captain of the Club, a best and fairest winner, played over 180 odd games for the Club, it’s something I’m incredibly proud of from a personal perspective.

"That’s not what my success ended up being; my goalpost shifted in the middle of my career to something that was bigger than football, bigger than myself. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve been able to do and what I get to do."

On the most special times from being a Carlton player: 

"Being able to captain the footy club is something I’ll hold dearly in my heart. There’s very few people who get to do that and to do that with my best mate who I’ve been on this journey with for a very long time, that is the biggest part.

"Somehow finding a way back from chemo in four months and having that memory of that goal, with what it meant to me and so many other people, that sticks out for me as well as the two."

On his favourite Carlton memories: 

"I think Simmo’s 250th, it sticks in my mind, I love that man. To be able to play in that tight win.

"The goal against Richmond, the semi-final against Melbourne, those are probably the three for me in a footballing sense. Most of the memories are behind the scenes, amazing platforms and opportunities and memories I’ll hold them dearly to my heart."

 On Patrick Cripps' reaction and the journey they shared: 

"I got the big fella. He’s been reflecting more about me than I would’ve thought. I got traded the year he got drafted.

"The shared experience of how hard it’s been, trying to turn this club around both culturally, had a number of setbacks with coaches, crisis meetings, bonfires at Ed’s, sharing milestones, kids growing up, it’s a pretty experience to do that with someone for as long as we have.

"We’ve spoken about that moment of lifting a Premiership cup together since we were about 20. Not having that is something I’ll miss, but it’s not for the Premiership, it’s the mateship, the love for each other.

"Mentioning that in the meeting and watching him tear up was a nice one. I don’t think many people could do that."

What he won't miss about football: 

"Time trials, skin folds, weigh-ins. I find it all fun, maybe that’s just the sicko in my mind.

"I’ve loved every minute of it. Some of it has been so hard and so challenging and often I’ve put footy in front of my own health, my own family, that’s what I’m looking forward to the most: having that back, being able to go home and be a dad, be a husband, figure out what the next chapter of my life is going to look like for me.

"A little bit less stressed for me, but I wouldn’t change it, I wouldn’t do it differently, it’s been one hell of a ride, that’s for sure."

On watching Carlton as a fan: 

"The relationships I’ve built here and the work I’ve put into so many guys, I’m looking forward to seeing their careers play out.

"That’s from Weiters, what he does for the rest of his career, to helping Billy Wilson through the early part of his career and the Camporeales and Ashton.

"You invest so much when you’re in here and my fulfilment from a football perspective will be watching those guys and knowing I played a small part in their career. I

"’ll be on the other side of the fence, I might be in the media potting them all, so we’ll see how we go.

"My chapter is finishing, but what will the next one be, and who will take control of it?

"Looking back, that was me when Andy Carrazzo, Walks, Heath Scotland, Juddy, Murph, Gibb, when all those boys started to move on, that’s when Crippa and I started our era of the footy club. Watching what’s next will be something I enjoy."

On what advice he would give to young Sam Docherty: 

"If I look back on my career, there were so many parts that were so hard and so challenging, both personally and with the Club.

"It’s been hard to enjoy it at times, but I would say enjoy the ride, it’s where you get on the other side that's pretty cool, but it’s not much fun at the time, so try and find a way to find the positives in everything."