Hotshot Tuohy eyes up a final fling in Oz
Victory could see Laois native follow Kennelly’s path
KIERAN Lillis always reckoned that if Zach Tuohy reached the AFL Grand Final, he’d find a way to be there. At the very least, if Gaelic f ootball commitments didn’t allow for a trip down under, the Laois captain would ensure there was a carnival atmosphere in Lillie’s, his bar on Portlaoise’s main street.
Tuohy caps an impressive decade as one of AFL’s most consistent performers by lining out for Geelong, along with Kerry’s Mark O’Connor, i n this morning’s Grand Final, having scored the goal that sealed victory against Brisbane last week. But rather
“He reached the landmark of 200 games”
than being in the Gabba, his close friend will be on the road up to Enniskillen for the crucial Division two clash with Fermanagh, tuned to radio commentary via the AFL app. And there will be no party in Portlaoise as the town must watch Tuohy’s big moment inside their own homes.
‘A few of us in the town would have said if Zach got to a grand final and the football season allowed, we’d have gone over. But obviously, that can’t be done this year,’ Lillis says.’It’s tougher for his family, not being able to get over. I won’t even get to watch it because we’re travelling up to Fermanagh. The AFL app allows you to tune into the radio commentary, so I will have to do that in the car.’.
Noel and Marie Tuohy have been to watch their son in action in each of his 11 seasons, except this one. ‘It’s typical, the year he’s in the Grand Final is the one we can’t get over,’ says Tuohy, a Labour councillor in Portlaoise. ‘It’s tough, but we just have to tune in and hope they can do the business.’
It has been a remarkable year for Tuohy. He reached the landmark of 200 AFL games, something that only five percent of players manage in such a highly-attritional sport. And after years of knocking on the door with Geelong, he is appearing in Australia’s version of an All- Ireland final.
‘It has been a fairy-tale year, really,’ Lillis agrees. ‘Reaching 200 games and making his first Grand final. The only way to top it off now is if Geelong go on and claim the title. There’s been a buzz around town and in training this week
‘If circumstances had been different, the bar would be open and there would be a real carnival atmosphere. Even in training this week, lads were getting excited about it. Colm Begley obviously had played in the AFL and he was giving some of the lads a crashcourse i n the game. There’s plenty of interest.’
It takes a special kind of durability to play more than 200 AFL games. Not only that but Tuohy stitched together 138 consecutive appearances from 2012 until the start of the 2019 season for Carlton and Geelong before a knee injury broke his streak.
‘He would say that it was a stroke of luck that he managed to play so often. He has been fortunate to avoid serious injury, but added to that, he is so driven and professional in everything he does that it doesn’t surprise me that he reached such a landmark.’
Lillis and Tuohy grew up together. They were born only two months apart as Tuohy was a December baby while Lillis’ birthday was in February.
But even when they were younger, Lillis saw the athletic and competitive streak that set his friend apart.
‘Growing up, whether it was playing snooker or tennis in the back garden or just a kickabout, Zach would always school us. The group of friends we had were all pretty sporty but you couldn’t touch him from a young age.’
Tuohy’s talent was spotted by AFl scouts when playing for the Laois minor side that won the 2007 Leinster final after he scored two cracking goals in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Derry. And while he i s now f i rmly immersed in Melbourne life, with his partner Bec and two young sons, it wasn’t all plain sailing. ‘When he came back the first time, he wasn’t sure,’ remembers his father. ‘You see that happen a lot with Irish players, they go over and get homesick.
‘When he went over to Carlton, Setanta O hAilpin was there and that helped, he took Zach under his wing.
‘And the second time he came home, you just knew he had fallen in love with the game. And Zach has been able to do the same for young Irish players now, like Mark O’Connor at Geelong.’
More than 60 GAA players have tried their luck in Australia - and there was a record number of 17 Irish players contracted to AFL teams in this strangest of AFL seasons that has been concluded in a bi osecure bubble in Queensland.
Tadhg Kennelly is the only one to win a Premiership, something that eluded even the legendary figure of Jim Stynes. But Tuohy and O’Connor are on the brink of writing their own history.
‘For him even to be mentioned in the same breath as Stynes and Kennelly is a honour,’ says Noel. And while Tuohy has become a star in Australia, Portlaoise, and his county, are left to lament what could have been.
Tuohy, who turns 31 in December has said repeatedly he wants to play a full season for club and county. He has lined out a number of times for Portlaoise in the AFL off-season and has been a decisive presence in the Laois senior championship.
‘When he talks about coming
“It takes a special kind of durability”
home for the club and county, it’s not lip-service. He wants to spend a full year playing for Portlaoise and Laois,’ says Lillis, who is godfather to Tuohy’s son, Flynn. ‘Over the past few years with the club, we have been on the wrong side of a few tight games in Leinster and you would always think what would have happened if we had Zach for that game.’
Kennelly came home to Kerry, having secured his AFL Premiership medal.
If Geelong win i n Brisbane today, Tuohy might be tempted to follow a similar path.