Ireland’s favourite son Zach Tuohy will play 250 games and could join Tadhg Kennelly with a premiership

It’s symbolic of the Tuohy way.

There might not be a player in the AFL whose achievements deserve more attention than his profile like Tuohy.

He might look like an extra in Peaky Blinders or the most hipster barista you know, but publicly Tuohy is understated.

Privately he’s intelligent, articulate and driven. He’s also never forgotten where he came from.

On Saturday, he aims to become the second Irish AFL premiership player.

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Forty years ago Gaelic footballer Sean Wight landed in Melbourne, the first to arrive under the ‘Irish experiment’ who would go on to play VFL/AFL football.

Since then there have been two charismatic figures that have been the flag-bearers for Irish in Australian football; Jim Stynes and Tadhg Kennelly.

Stynes overcame all sorts of challenges to win a Brownlow. He retired from the game in 1998, when the recruiting of Irish players had stopped. His contribution to club and community post-career are rightly celebrated. In 1999 Kennelly was signed to a rookie contract as the experiment was rebooted. A celebrated career ensued; a premiership, the pull of home in the wake of family tragedy and an eventual return to the AFL.

Zach Tuohy played his first AFL game in Kennelly’s last season. He has nowhere near the profile of his football forefathers, but has fittingly carried the baton that the other two passed on.

Tuohy is modest though. He still can’t see himself as part of a ‘big three’ as he reflects on 250 games.

“I spent so much of my career looking up to Tadhg initially,” Tuohy tells CODE Sports.

“At that stage he’d played the best part of 200 games and that seemed a million miles off.

“It’s kinda strange to think I’ve gone past Tadhg’s games record. And I wouldn’t dare ever put myself in Stynes’ category in any capacity, but it’s a decent milestone that I am proud of.”

Despite Tuohy’s modesty, his status stacks up. It is expected Tuohy will play on into season 2023 and if form and fitness holds he will break Jim Stynes’ record for most games by an Irish-born AFL player. A premiership on Saturday will see him join Kennelly as the only Irish-born premiership players.

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Tuohy grew up in a town called Portlaoise in County Laois, and played Gaelic football for the Portlaoise club.

As his talents progressed he became a regular in Laois representative teams. His breakout moment came in 2007 when playing in Laois’ minor (underage) teams. A couple of amazing goals gave him some national publicity and the Laois minor team would go on to win the Leinster at Croke Park as a curtain raiser to the senior game.

He was one of the hottest talents in the country and with the Irish experiment back in full swing after Kennelly’s success, scouts from Australia came calling. Eventually he signed with Carlton as a rookie in 2009, but the connection with Portlaoise and County Laois runs deep.

“I still talk to all of the guys I grew up playing with,” he says. “There’s a couple of guys from my county that even come out here for short stints.”

Contemporaries from Laois, Colm Begley played 30 games for Brisbane and St Kilda while Connor Meredith spent time at North Melbourne. Tuohy counts them as close friends today and they avidly follow his career.

“I touch base with them every time I come home for a coffee or something stronger. The support I have from back home is enormous.”

Tuohy played more than 100 games for Carlton after debuting in 2011, and it was somewhat of a surprise when he moved to Geelong in 2016, but the quiet exterior belies a premiership drive.

“There was an early part of my career where a premiership seemed so far away it wasn’t worth thinking about,” he says about those Carlton days, whereas perennial contender Geelong has been the opposite.

“I wanted to be playing for a club that puts its people into positions to have a crack and we’ve come really close on a few occasions.

“With that there is the risk of just falling short, and criticisms follow that. But I’m super proud of our club that we just front up every year.”

It was also a pragmatic move.

Geelong may be ribbed about being Dad’s Army, but it’s a philosophy that’s incredibly attractive to players nearing 30 (Tuohy was almost 27 when he moved). Now almost 33 but with at least another year in the game assured, Tuohy credits his longevity with the move.

He doesn’t think he’d be still playing in the AFL if he hadn’t moved to wear the hoops, where 30 is not a dirty word.

“It has crossed my mind before that there’s not many clubs I could have gone to where I’d still be playing,” he says.

“I’m super grateful. I think when I finish up my career and I’m counting my eggs I’ll be pretty happy this is the decision I made.”

Geelong and its players are all also pretty happy with that decision.

Veteran Mitch Duncan will line up alongside Tuohy across half back and the midfield this weekend but his admiration stretched further back than his time at Geelong.

“From Carlton I just loved the attacking flair that he could bring to the side,” Duncan tells CODE Sports.

“Which he did in his early days here, but he’s probably moved up the ground slightly now but still has the ability to play back.”

That adaptability, coupled with hardness at the ball and cleanness in possession is what makes him a Cats favourite.

But Duncan stresses that he’s been just as important in the locker room.

“Off the field he’s been important too. A bit of a lad, bit of a character, but also extremely intelligent.

“You don’t want to do a quiz with him because he’ll beat you. I try to read the quiz in the paper to him because I can’t compete.

“He’s just been great for the group ever since he walked in here.”

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Tuohy’s 2016 move was also a blessing for someone who had looked up to Tuohy for years beforehand.

Fellow Irishman Mark O’Connor was Geelong’s medical sub last week and if he gets that nod again this week, a win will see the duo collectively become Irish premiership players two and three after falling short in 2020.

As a kid in County Kerry, O’Connor had seen Tuohy’s 2007 minor league highlights, and remembers them vividly.

“He kicked a couple of very special goals that were nominated for goal of the year in the whole Gaelic Football Association,” O’Connor tells CODE Sports. “His goals were really well known.”

Fast forward nine years and the two were to cross paths, fortunately arriving at the Cattery within weeks of each other.

“I’d just signed at Geelong when the rumours were happening that he might sign with Geelong too. I just had my fingers crossed that he would sign,” he says,

“I’ve been so lucky how that all materialised.

“He had a lot of AFL experience and I was getting here with no AFL experience. In my first couple of years, to watch someone who’d had a similar pathway, was really helpful.

“For anyone in Ireland growing up with aspirations for Australia, Zach is who they look up to.”

They also look up to Tuohy in Geelong, but at Kardinia Parks there are some with an extra connection.

This week at Geelong training Aileen Trainor and her family sat patiently on the fence. One of her children wore a Kerry jersey for O’Connor, while they got photos and signatures from Tuohy.

Aileen’s accent is unmistakable. She’s a Cats fan because of the connection to her homeland.

“It’s just great to have a bit of Irish in it,” she tells CODE Sports.

“That’s what brought us to the Cats. We’re down here to see Mark and Zach, we’re big fans.”

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The man who passed the metaphorical baton to Tuohy, Tadhg Kennelly, is a Swans great. He’ll be cheering the red and white this weekend but concedes that if his team doesn’t win there may be a small consolation.

“I will be a bit disappointed, my mantle of being the only Irishman with a premiership medal will be taken off me if they win it,” he quips to CODE Sports.

Jesting aside, Kennelly has real admiration for Tuohy’s career.

“What he’s been able to achieve is incredible, 250 games for a young lad who came from the other side of the world.”

There are currently 14 men and 24 women who are Irish on AFL or AFLW lists at the moment and Kennelly understands the importance of an elder statesman in leading a generation of code-hoppers.

“Knowing that someone had done it before me, someone coming from the same background as you, who‘s played the same game as you growing up, it gives you confidence that you can do it.

“To see what Zach can do as a role model and his ability to handle pressure and succeed in the sport, it’s huge.”

That mantle of the only Irish premiership player became iconic when Kennelly did an Irish jig on the premiership podium in 2005. He says he never planned to highlight his background.

“That was quite instinctive,” he says.

“I really didn’t know what to do, it was only after Nic Fosdike said to me as I was going up, ‘You’ve got to something Irish’ and I was looking for an Irish flag, but couldn’t see one close by so I just busted out an Irish jig instead.”

O’Connor says Kennelly’s impact was huge.

“When his grand final was happening it was a big deal. It would be amazing for Zach to be the second and hopefully me the third, if picked.”

Does Kennelly expect his dance to be replicated on Saturday if Geelong salutes?

“I’m sure Zach will celebrate it in his own way. Mark may do a jig though.”

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Tuohy is his own man but laughs when Kennelly’s impromptu performance is brought up.

“I’m not practising my jig,” he smiles.

“I dare not look that far ahead.”

But you can be sure that if Geelong wins, home will not be forgotten.

“There was a Portlaoise flag in the crowd in the prelim which is my local team,” he says.

“I’ve got a Portlaoise flag myself, so if all goes well I might try to bring that out.”

Tuohy will head back to Ireland after the season because something more important than Saturday is planned.

Tuohy was married on the steps of the Treasury Building to his longtime partner Rebecca this year, but in November they will take their two young children back to Portlaoise for a big Irish family wedding.

A bunch of Geelong teammates will make the trip over or include it as a stop in their own off-season travels.

A premiership medal will make a nice addition to the night.

“It’s already been a pretty good year but it could be a little bit more special,” Tuohy says.

He’s been here before with Geelong and knows nothing can be taken for granted, but is philosophical about tying Saturday’s result to happiness.

“We’ve done it again this year and fingers crossed we can go one step further.”

“But you know what, if we don’t, I’ll be just as proud.”

You can bet all of Portlaoise, Laois and Ireland will be proud if Kennelly’s Irish premiers club extends this weekend.