TOHILL DERRY’S GIANT OAK WHO CAUGHT THE EYE OF AUSSIES AND MAN UNITED

WOULD Derry football history have been different if Anthony Tohill hadn’t broken a leg during his Australian Rules stint in Melbourne in 1990/91?

A lengthy absence damaged his chances of being retained at a time of contraction among AFL clubs, so he returned home and headed straight for training with the Derry squad.

By 1992, they were League champions for the first time in 45 years and Tohill had picked up his first All Star.

A year later, Derry won the All-Ireland SFC title for the first time, with Tohill’s powerful input at midfield a major contributor. By the time he retired in 2003, he had won four All Star awards and played for Ireland in eight International Rules games against Australia, two as captain.

Having come close to losing Tohill to Australian Rules early in his career (he was approached again when his GAA career flourished), Derry had further concern in early 1995 when he spent two weeks with Manchester United.

That they even contemplated signing a 23-year-old with relatively little soccer experience wasa source of great fascination at the time.

He wasn’t offered a contract, but one wonders how he would have got on if he had concentrated on soccer form the start of his career.

Tohill’s career with the Oak Leaf County was spent largely in the middle third of the pitch, whereas Tony Scullion was a specialist defender. One of the best markers in the game, he established a deserved reputation as a man for the big occasion and, with Tohill, shares the

Anthony Tohill (below) and Tony Scullion are Derry’s only four-time All Stars distinction of being the only Derrymen to have won four All Star awards. Few corner-backs were honoured as much in the All Star scheme as Scullion, who played for Derry for 14 seasons. High fielding, power and a great work ethic were among Brian McGilligan’s many attributes in a career where he partnered Tohill at midfield for several years. They took both midfield positions on the 1993 All Star team.