Former Carlton captain Sam Docherty has apologised after an expletive-laden rant was played without his consent on an AFL podcast on Friday.
In the voice message, he lashed the club following its 63-point loss to Sydney in the season-opening game on Thursday.
The Blues led by as many as 22 points early in the third quarter, before the Swans piled on 12 goals in a term, and 18 in a half, completely flipping the contest.
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Patrick Cripps leads Carlton off the field. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Docherty, who captained the club for three years, retired at the end of 2025 and has seen everything that has transpired at the club up close under coach Michael Voss.
In the aftermath of the loss, he sent a voice message to former Blues teammate Dan Gorringe, host of the Dan Does Footy podcast, slamming the club’s performance and lack of development.
Gorringe played the full message on the popular AFL podcast.
“Exactly what happened again last night is the same shit that happens in every other game,” Docherty told Dan Gorringe via a voice message.
“When the game’s hot and contested and pressurised, Carlton is good in that environment, but as soon as some team can do somewhat good in the contest, the rest of the game just f—in’ falls to pieces.
“Carlton were plus 21 in contested possessions, so they were just winning all the contests around the ground which then got the ball played in their half on their terms. Admittedly, their ball movement was pretty good in the first half and they were sort of able to control the tempo.
“But then they start losing contests, they get under pressure, they can’t get a hold of the ball and they’re just an absolute f—ing shitshow.
“Essentially, because the game gets somewhat slower and there’s more open-brand footy, that’s when Carlton is f—in’ horrible.
Sam Docherty’s message was played by Dan Gorringe on his podcast. YouTube
“That’s essentially what happened again last night. Sydney plus 10 in the third quarter in contested possession. Game against Carlton, defence doesn’t hold up.
“Basically, you smack our mids again this year and we’ll be f—ed, going off last night. Change all the ball movement you want, but it’s the same issue.”
Docherty does make regular appearances on the show, but has revealed he sent Gorringe the audio to use as background for the episode, not to be used “verbatim”.
The 32-year-old says he stands by the comments, but apologised for the heavy cursing.
“I sent (Gorringe) a recap of my thoughts from the game last night which I thought was guiding a conversation, but I didn’t think was getting used verbatim,” Docherty told 3AW on Friday.
“It is what it is. Fairly strong comments in the end with what was released on the podcast, but I stand by the thoughts of what I was talking about because I’ve been talking about it all of the back end of last year and some of last night. But I do need to apologise to everyone for the expletives used throughout.
“I wasn’t thinking it was going out verbatim, but that’s OK. (Gorringe) is one of my best mates and I understand that that’s what the podcast is about, being close to the community and doing that. Just making sure I’m clarifying my comments.”
Sam Docherty is chaired off in his last game by Carlton’s Patrick Cripps and long-time teammate Kade Simpson. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd, part of the 3AW interview, said he would be “bitterly disappointed in Dan Gorringe personally” if the same thing had happened to him.
“I don’t think mates do that to mates, personally,” Lloyd added.
The outcome on Thursday mirrored a number of Carlton’s defeats in the Voss era. They get out to an early lead, break even for a bit and then capitulate in the second half as the opposition gets on top around the contest, leading to a flood of goals.
You can find games matching this pattern for Carlton dating all the way back to the 2022 loss in the final round of the season to Collingwood, that ultimately saw them miss finals.
Their 2023 preliminary final loss to Brisbane falls into the same category, as well as their shock round one loss to Richmond in 2025, and multiple games that followed.
Michael Voss, coach of Carlton. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Carlton under the Brisbane legend have long been a team focused on winning contested possessions and clearances, and bullying teams around the ball. It helped lead them to finals across 2023 and 2024.
However, their inability to develop any other means of winning, particularly when the opposition gets on top in contest and clearance, has been widely criticised.
Docherty adding his voice to that as a recently retired leader of the club is damning.
The Blues’ leadership made the call to back Voss in for the 2026 season, despite an external sense that they would sack him and look for change.
He is the only coach in the competition out of contract at the conclusion of 2026.
Carlton face Richmond next Thursday in a chance to get their season back on track.
The Tigers’ shock upset victory over the Blues in round one of 2025 will still be reverberating in the ears of everyone at the club, particularly given it followed the same formula as Thursday’s horror loss.
The Blues led by 42 points in that game, before the wooden spoon fancies ran them over in the second half.