Sam Docherty's hopes of a miracle return in the AFL finals appear well and truly alive after coach Michael Voss refused to put a line through the Carlton stalwart.
Former captain Docherty's season appeared over when he suffered a third career ACL tear in opening round in March.
But less than six months on, the 30-year-old defender has been gradually making progress towards a once-unlikely return.
"He's progressing really well. He's joining in main training. You'll probably see him running around out there again today. He's progressing really well," Voss said on Friday.
"He knocks on my door every single day and I'll tell him to go away until next week and we'll see where it goes from there.
"But it's been hard ... I mean, he's been off doing his rehab and getting himself right. And so I've said, 'mate when the knock on the door comes, if it comes and you say you're ready, well, we can look at it then'.
"But until then I've been focused on ... the job we need to be able to get (done).
"And I'll tell you what, if that opportunity exists, then so be it. But I'd love to be able to get him that opportunity, if he is ready, because it means obviously we're playing finals."
Voss is firmly focused on Sunday's clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium where Carlton will seal a finals berth with a win - and could be leapfrogged by Fremantle if they lose.
When asked if Docherty's hopes of a comeback had lifted Carlton amid an injury crisis, a laughing Voss quipped: "It's actually quite annoying.
"But we love him. Oh, we absolutely love him. And look, he's provided a great fresh bit of energy and he's absolutely committed to try and just give himself the best opportunity."
Voss insisted he couldn't say give any details on a potential Docherty comeback would look like.
"I really can't because there's just so many variables that come into that," he said.
"We've got to reintroduce guys back into the team that have been out for long periods of time.
"There's just so many factors that go into that decision and (I'll) make sure that everyone knows that all those variables will be considered very, very seriously.
"It won't be just something that we roll out. He's been part of a lengthy rehab program, and we need to respect that.
"But all those sort of risks, if you want to call it, will be managed, both for him and the team, and we'll go from there."
