The Blues have been overrun late in each of their three defeats this season in a worrying trend that already has their finals hopes on a knife's edge.
Many long-suffering fans have vented their fury, after Michael Voss's side entered the new campaign with genuine hopes of ending a 30-year premiership drought.
A loss to the Magpies (2-1) in front of an expected crowd of more than 80,000 fans at the MCG on Thursday night could be disastrous for Carlton's top-eight chances.
"The Blues fans are enormous in pushing us along the line but we also understand their frustrations," Docherty said.
"We're frustrated as well, to be honest.
"Parts of our game are going really well but there's other parts (that are not).
"Probably the most frustrating part as a fan is when we're not using the ball very well, which is a big part of what's going on at the moment.
"We've got some work to do and we're not shying away from that, but we understand it's a long year and we're only at round three, so we'll keep ticking along."
Carlton have averaged just 68 points in defeats to Richmond, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs.
But Docherty remains bullish on the Blues' capabilities and believes their poor ball use and scoring woes can be quickly remedied.
"It's not like we can't do it. That's the problem," Docherty said.
"We worked really hard over the pre-season but for whatever reason at the start of the season we've just gone away from playing it consistently through games.
"We can do it, and we've done it in parts of games, but the reality is we haven't stuck to what we've needed to do for long enough to get a result we need."
Carlton have left the door open for Harry McKay and Elijah Hollands to return against Collingwood, after the pair featured in a VFL intra-club match over the weekend.
McKay and Hollands are both on indefinite leave from the AFL side because of personal reasons.
"They're both at the footy club, both training, and in the conversations I've had with them they're both in a really good spot," Docherty said.
"I understand that it's never linear though, so you never know what's around the corner with mental health stuff.
"But as a football club we're supporting them and it's great to see them back happy and with a smile on their face."
Docherty, 31, who has twice recovered from testicular cancer, on Monday helped launch this year's Peter Mac Cup at the MCG.
The annual Carlton-Collingwood clash is now in its 30th year, making it the AFL's longest-running charity match.
"I love the rivalry but for both clubs and fan bases to take a stand about something that's bigger than all of us is something really special," Docherty said.
12°C