IT’S ZACH TO
AFL Grand Final star home to a hero’s welcome and to be wed
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ZACH Tuohy will land back in Ireland this week and home to Portlaoise where he’ll receive a hero’s welcome.
Tuohy is getting married next week, and his old underage mentor, Mick Lillis — who managed Laois — says the least he deserves is a civic reception to go with his wedding reception.
Laois man Tuohy and Kerry’s Mark O’Connor are part of an elite group of Irish players to win an AFL Premiership, alongside Tadhg Kennelly (2005).
Also last weekend, Mick’s son Kieran — who will be groomsman at Tuohy’s wedding and is godfather to one of his children — was in action for Portlaoise in the county semi-final.
The pair were born only a couple of months apart.
While Tuohy (32) felt the ecstasy of reaching the absolute pinnacle of the AFL, Lillis suffered agony at the hands of Portarlington.
His last gasp fisted effort was superbly saved as ‘the Town’ lost out by a point to the holders in a semi-final contest Mick Lillis says was an“absolutely rip-roaring game”, and the best he’s seen in Laois in a long time.
Mick has no doubt Kieran would have been in Australia with Tuohy for the thumping Grand Final triumph over Sydney Swans were it not for the club semi-final, but they’ll enjoy the next few weeks.
Buzz
“The boys will have a ball,”he says.“There will be a great buzz when he’s (Tuohy) around. There always is anyway. In fairness to him (Tuohy), he’s never forgotten his roots.
“He is brilliant with the young kids. He’s always with them, going up to the club. He’s well got, well liked and he’s an integral part of the history of the club now.
“There will be a road or something called after him, ‘Tuohy Avenue’
“It’s been five years since he’s played. I have no doubt he will play again for the club. It’s just the timing of it (AFL and GAA seasons) hasn’t been perfect.”
Tuohy and Lillis junior played together in an all-conquering Portlaoise side, which landed county titles at under-12, 14 and 16, two more at minor and three at under-21 level.
Tuohy went off to Australia at 18 after starring for Laois minors, and has gone on to enjoy a stellar career at Carlton and now Geelong, where he lost out in a Grand Final in 2020.
That underage side backboned Portlaoise to a senior nine-in-a-row, with Tuohy home playing in three of them.
After playing his 250th AFL game at the weekend — just 14 behind Irish record holder, Jim Stynes — Tuohy deserves to be in the conversation for Irish Sports Star of the Year.
“I am not intrigued by the game (AFL) as a spectacle, but his achievement is awesome,” said Lillis, who hails from Cooraclare (Clare).“Incredible.
“The very fact his lifespan in the game is nearly twice what the average Australian guy does, speaks volumes for his endurance and dedication and all that goes with it.
“It is a massive achievement. He touched on it recently, the difficulties particularly in starting off, finding his feet.
Phenomenal
“But the resilience and single-mindedness to say, ‘Look, I’m here and I’m going to succeed at this,’ is phenomenal.
“Everybody knows Jim Stynes. He was a pioneer in what he did, but Zach’s achievement is right up there as well.”
As an underage player, Lillis