The oft-smiling 18-year-old is the youngest player on the Lions’ senior list, but he seems completely at ease with life as a professional footballer.
“I’ve always been a pretty mature kid coming up,” Docherty explains. “I’ve been playing footy against men since I was 15, so I’m used to being the young kid in the group.
“It’s the same at the Lions, so I feel like I’ve settled in really well; in fact I love it up here!”
Recruited with pick No.12 at last year’s national draft from the Gippsland Power, Docherty is hitting his straps at Reserves level after an injury-interrupted pre-season.
In the past fortnight the 185cm defender has delivered two season-best showings; 28 disposals against Broadbeach followed by 27 touches against the Gold Coast.
Docherty thinks his impressive form is due to more time on the paddock of late.
“My pre-season and the start of the year wasn’t ideal in that I had a hip problem and then a hamstring issue,” he says.
“But with more game time has come more match fitness and the result is I’m getting my hands on the footy more.”
Cast in the same rebounding defender mould as the likes of Heath Shaw or teammate Jed Adcock as a junior, Docherty’s 2012 season started a little stagnate. But the past two weeks in particular his dashes from defence have been eye-catching.
“I was a bit conscious of my injuries early on, and I didn’t have the extra fitness to be able to run and carry doing defensive work, hence I wasn’t playing that rebounding style,” Docherty reasons.
“But as my fitness has come back so has my confidence to be able to back myself to rebound and take the opposition on.
“That’s my natural game, and it’s great that the coaching staff are encouraging me to play in that way.”
Docherty lives with fellow youngster Billy Longer, who’s spent a good chunk of the year in the senior side.
Docherty’s hopeful he can emulate his housemate and have a taste of the top flight soon.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to play Seniors this year,” he enthuses.
“I’ll try and keep on playing good footy to hopefully push my way in there in the second half of the year-the more boys who are pushing for Seniors the better the club will go as a whole.”
