Carlton coach Michael Voss adamant Sam Docherty is ready go to after stunning ACL recovery

Carlton may be taking a risk bringing back six injured players for a sudden death final but the riskiest one actually gives coach Michael Voss the most confidence.

A Friday morning text message from Charlie Curnow declaring he was “fit to play” couldn’t sway coach Michael Voss into making him a seventh inclusion for Saturday’s do-or-die elimination final against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.

But the impending availability of the two-time Coleman medallist is extra incentive for the Blues to pull off an upset and keep their finals hopes alive, buoyed also by the inclusion of Sam Docherty who has done a “body of work” to get himself ready for a remarkable return six months after suffering an ACL injury.

Voss has rolled the dice not just on Docherty but a swath of inclusions with spearhead Harry McKay first-up since round 22 and ruckman Tom DeKoning set to play his first game since Round 19.

Zac Williams, midfielder Adam Cerra and defender Mitch McGovern are also coming back in after injury lay-offs.

Tom De Koning is among six big ins for Carlton. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

But it’s the return of Docherty which looms as the greatest risk, according to everyone except the coach and the player himself who had bucked the trend of 12 month ACL recoveries.

“It’s amazing, but he’s walking around going, ‘What’s the big deal?‘,” Voss said of Docherty on Friday, adamant the 30-year-old was ready to be thrown into the finals cauldron.

“(He’s) about the only bloke out of all of us (saying), ‘Let’s just get on with it’.

“We’re not just operating off one session here, we’ve got this body of work.”

“He’s going in extremely confident, he’s incredible with his resilience. Nothing shocks me with Doc.

“I was coach at Brisbane when we drafted him (from the Lions) ... now I’ve had a lot more to do with him (at Carlton); he’s an incredible human being.”

Sam Docherty is back for the Blues. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Curnow failed to overcome an ankle injury in time to take his place against the Lions but Voss said he would be “good to go” should the Blues topple the home team, as they did at the Gabba in the opening round when Docherty suffered his injury, and progress to week two of the finals.

“He texted me this morning, let me know he was OK and fit to play,” Voss said of Curnow.

“But we’ve decided not to. He’s had some good valuable training this week.

“Really hopeful that next week he’ll be right to go.”

Charlie Curnow didn’t get up for Carlton’s first final. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Voss dismissed the notion his side couldn’t have a finals impact, having sneaked in only after Port Adelaide toppled Fremantle in the final game of the home and away season, hours after the Blues lost to St Kilda.

Carlton won the least games of any of the eight finalists (13) but did sit in the top four at the midway point of the season which gave the coach confidence his team had what it takes to be a contender.

“If home and away is about consistency, then finals is about capacity,” Voss said.

“We’d like a better starting point on the grid, but this is where we found ourselves (and) we’ve got a few weapons ourselves.”

Originally published as Carlton coach Michael Voss adamant Sam Docherty is ready go to after stunning ACL recovery