Carlton hero’s wife Sam Docherty opens up about the candid moment that made her year when he staged a miraculous return from his second battle with cancer.
- Natalie Docherty couldn’t be happier with the way 2022 turned out for her husband Sam
- He returned from the battle with testicular cancer and kicked a goal in the first round.
- But the hug with fellow cancer survivor Ben Cunnington impressed her more
Carlton star Sam Docherty celebrated wildly with his teammates when he kicked a goal against Richmond in the first game of the year while returning from his second battle with cancer, but that wasn’t his wife’s favorite moment of the season. Natalie.
That came in the Blues’ clash with North Melbourne in the seventh round and Docherty shared a hug with fellow cancer survivor Ben Cunnington.
‘Sam and Ben have such a nice relationship and I talk to [Cunnington’s wife] Belinda a lot. We were both going through it,” Docherty told the Herald Sun.
“The first round when Sam kicked a goal was beautiful and you realize it’s more than just a game. It’s a community and everyone has been very supportive.’
Natalie Docherty (pictured with her husband, football star Sam) is thrilled with how the season has gone, with one moment being especially poignant.
The mom-to-be was emotional when Docherty’s fellow cancer survivor Ben Cunnington (with his back to the camera) hugged Sam before Carlton’s clash with North Melbourne in the seventh round.
Cunnington, who, like his Carlton counterpart, battled and beat testicular cancer, was still recovering and wasn’t on the field when the pair embraced at Marvel Stadium before the Blues’ win over the Kangaroos on July 30. of April.
The image was one of the highlights of the AFL season, along with Cunnington’s return to action in North’s game against Adelaide on August 14, when he collapsed while hugging his wife and children on the pitch.
Docherty was overwhelmed by his ecstatic teammates when he kicked a goal just before halftime in the season-opening victory over Richmond, capping his comeback from two fights with the fatal disease.
Cunnington finally returned to the field in August and provided another stunning moment when he collapsed while hugging his wife and children (pictured)
Docherty’s comeback after beating cancer had his teammates going wild when he kicked a goal in the Blues’ first-round win over Richmond (pictured)
Speaking a few days before that game, Carlton coach Michael Voss admitted that when he first met the defender in October last year, his health battle was so serious that he didn’t think he’d be able to make an appearance at the opener. of the curtain
“I’m so proud, all year we’ve been saying that as long as you get through the season and everything goes well, that’s a successful year for him, and he got through every game,” Docherty said of her husband.
“I found out in May that I’m pregnant, so now I’m 22 weeks and I feel great.”
The couple’s first child is due in January.
