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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jonathan Horn

From the Pocket: Docherty’s voice memo highlights impossible job facing modern AFL coaches

Sam Docherty
It’s rare to hear such honesty from an AFL footballer just out of the game but podcaster Daniel Gorringe gave everyone access to Sam Docherty’s thoughts. Photograph: Michael Willson/AFL Photos/Getty Images

There comes a point in every footy season where everyone involved begins to fray. It often starts just after the Anzac Day round, when Melbourne’s big wet sets in, the ladder begins to splinter, there’s debate about “the state of the game” and there’s often a public spat between two prominent media figures. For anyone trying to process it or avoid it, it’s good to consult someone from outside the footy bubble and be reminded that none of this stuff actually matters.

But it started early this year. This year’s soap opera began in the first week of March, with a 12-goal onslaught and a voice message. Sam Docherty, sounding like he was speaking from an F45 class while riding a lawnmower, unleashed an expletive filled, rather entertaining and fairly accurate depiction of his former club.

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