Carlton co-captain Sam Docherty reveals testicular cancer scare
Former Carlton defender Sam Rowe knows what its like to be told you have cancer. He spoke to Blues co-captain Sam Docherty after he received the shock news.
Carlton
Don't miss out on the headlines from Carlton. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Former Carlton defender Sam Rowe has reached out to Carlton co-captain Sam Docherty in
support after the Blues co-captain had surgery to remove a malignant testicular tumour.
An ex-teammate of Docherty’s, Rowe spent a year out of the game in 2012 when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and required surgery and chemotherapy.
Rowe, who was 24 at the time, made a full recovery and was quick to get in touch with Docherty after hearing the news of his diagnosis this week.
Docherty is recovering from surgery last Friday after recently discovering a cancerous lump and the Blues say the 27-year-old is expected to recover fully.
Rowe said overcoming the initial shock had been the “hardest part” and told Docherty to give himself as much time as he needed to digest it all.
“I gave him a call and spoke to him after that and he is going pretty well,” Rowe said.
Kayo is your ticket to the best sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
“Obviously, it’s a big shock to start with, certainly when you hear you have got cancer it’s a big shock.
“The hardest part is the start when you don’t have the answers and you have doctors telling you, ‘We think you have cancer’, but they won’t know until they have surgery and whatnot.
“The hardest part for him has happened, but there is still a lot to go on for him going forward and it still takes a bit to get your head around what has actually happened.
“He is just going through that process of getting his head around it all, but he seems to be in a pretty good head space I think from what he was saying.
“As I said to him, it’s just important to give himself some time to get his head around it all.
“He is the skipper of the Blues and wants to be a great leader and a great role model for everyone there, but I think it’s just important to give himself some time to get his head around it all and tick off everything he needs to tick off on with his health.”
Docherty’s diagnosis and surgery came after making an impressive return to the field this year after overcoming two knee reconstructions.
“He did make a joke: ‘It’s all character building, but I think my character is good enough at the moment’,” Rowe said.
“He deserves a good run. He’s a good man, a hard worker and he is a dedicated person and friend and he absolutely deserves a good run with footy.
“He will get back to playing footy, I know he is a very diligent person and that’s why he is captain of the club.”
After surgery, Rowe underwent a six-week course of chemotherapy in 2012, but is all-clear eight years on and no longer requires ongoing checks other than a once-a-year blood test for “piece of mind”.
“With testicular cancer it is usually a good outcome. The doctors — when I was going through it — always said that if you are going to get one it is the one that you want to get because it is easily treatable,” Rowe said.
“It was some hard times. Physically, I lost all my hair and looked like a typical cancer patient and it’s hard to see yourself in that manner and hard for the people that are close to you and love you to see you like that as well.
“And it’s hard to see other people struggling in the hospital as well. I was lucky and always had a great prognosis … I found that hard seeing the other people struggling more than me.”
It was unfortunate news for the Blues only one day after it emerged star forward Charlie Curnow had suffered a recurrence of a patella injury.
Docherty said he was shocked by his diagnosis and urged others to get checked.
“Obviously, hearing the initial diagnosis was a shock, however I feel grateful to have got onto it straight away,” Docherty said.
“Having now had the surgery, I’m grateful to hear that I’m expected to make a full recovery and will be able to resume training in four to six weeks’ time.
“Talking about our health and wellbeing and ensuring we get regular checks is so important, and I hope to use this as a reminder for others to look after themselves and also to support others who may be going through similar experiences.”
Port Adelaide star Robbie Gray was diagnosed with testicular cancer months after Hogan, saying in 2018 he was overwhelmed by the support he received.
Rowe said Docherty’s diagnosis was a reminder for young men to get checked.
“Testicular cancer is a young man’s disease. The stats say once you get into your mid-30s, the chances of getting testicular cancer are really quite low,” Rowe said.
“It is a good time to remind everyone that cancer is not just for old people and if you do feel something, you just need to get it checked and chances are it might be nothing, but if it is something finding it early gives you a fantastic chance of having a full recovery.
“It is an important message to push.”
MORE AFL NEWS:
Inside the end of the Hot Breakfast with Eddie McGuire and Luke Darcy