'I would love to come back and play club football’- Portlaoise's Zach Tuohy on his GAA return plans

Portlaoise’s Zach Tuohy had a professional career many could only dream of as he went on to win an AFL Premiership with Geelong and now holds the record for the most AFL appearances by an Irish player with 288. 

He surpassed the record that Jim Stynes had held when he played against North Melbourne in July 2023. Tuohy announced in August of this year that he would retire from Aussie Rules at the end of the season. 

Tuohy sat down with the Leinster Express/ Laois Live to reflect on his remarkable AFL career, the experience of writing his autobiography, and his hopes of returning to play for Portlaoise GAA. Tuohy also shared his thoughts on the future of The Town, his own plans for the future and the lasting connection he feels to Laois and Portlaoise.

“Retirement is going well, it's strange. I've been doing what I’ve been doing for a long time, so it's odd to be finished now. Writing the book was something I never thought I’d do, but now that it’s done and out in the world, I feel really good about it, so everything’s good,” he said.

The 2022 AFL Premiership winner recently published his autobiography ‘The Irish Experiment’. He admitted that the idea of writing a book initially left him uncertain, but the stories flowed easily once he began the process. 

“Initially, I was worried about how much content I’d have for it. Once I started putting it all on paper, I realised there was certainly no shortage of stories," he said. Read more below picture.

Zach Tuohy after the 2022 AFL Premiership win with a Portlaoise flag across his shoulders

Reflecting on his life and career for the first time proved to be both revealing and therapeutic, as he shared previously untold moments and experiences that had ‘never seen the light of day’ before.

“It was nice because I’d never really sat back and reflected in detail on the early part of my life and career. When I did, it was quite therapeutic, to be honest. There’s a fair bit of stuff in there that has never seen the light of day before, so it was nice to get it off my chest,” Tuohy said.

Tuohy noted that his book has been well received, with differing reactions from Irish and Australian audiences. 

“It seems to have been pretty well received. The Irish market is interested in different things compared to the Aussie market, which has been interesting to see. Some of the AFL contract details in the book got picked up and widely circulated in Australia, whereas back here, it is the transition stuff that people seem most interested in. It has been fun to see what resonates with people here and over there,” he said.

He recalled how the opportunity to play AFL came about after Laois’ loss in the All-Ireland Minor semi-final in 2007.

“I played Minor in 2007, and we lost the All-Ireland semi-final replay to Derry. About a week or two later, I got a phone call from an Australian. I wasn’t expecting the accent on the phone, so I initially thought it was someone from Northern Ireland because we had just been beaten by Derry. But he invited me to a combine at the University of Limerick. There were about 25 of us, and from that group, myself and Ciarán Sheehan, an All-Ireland winner with Cork, were selected and I guess the rest is history. I got brought out at the end of 2009 in preparation for the 2010 season, and 15 years or so later, here we are,” Tuohy said. Read more below picture.

Tuohy with Portlaoise GAA Chairman Eamon Fennelly at Tuohy's book launch

Tuohy admitted he had few reservations about making the move to Australia, driven by his determination to become a professional athlete. 

“I was pretty sure from the start. There was no real decision to make. I was desperate to be a professional athlete, and I was always going to give it a shot. I talked in the book about how I didn’t enjoy my first two-week trial. I went for a fortnight in 2008 and hated it, which was difficult because I had my heart set on being a pro. I thought, “Oh, this isn’t how it’s meant to be.” But as soon as I got back full-time as a contracted, listed player, I loved it. 

While there were plenty of ups and downs, he never seriously considered leaving, aside from one year when homesickness off the field briefly took its toll.

“There have been plenty of ups, mostly ups, but also plenty of downs. For the most part, I never really contemplated leaving, except for one year in particular. But that was more about off-field homesickness than anything to do with the actual playing,” he said.

Tuohy described the experience as surreal, admitting he doesn’t see himself as decorated as his career might suggest, adding that while it’s nice to reflect, he doesn’t view his achievements with a ‘look how great I am’ attitude.

“It’s surreal, and I don’t feel like I am as credentialed as I might look on paper. I feel like I am more or less the same player I was when I went out. The goal early on was to play one game, and then you want to become cemented in the first team and maybe try to get to 100 games, which is a great goal for an Irish player. It just snowballed from there. I guess it is nice to reflect on it, but I don’t look at it as “look how great I am” type of stuff,” Tuohy admitted. Read more below picture.

Selfies with the crowd after the win in the AFL Premiership final in 2022

The Laois native spoke about the special moment when he finally got to wear a  Portlaoise flag across his shoulders when his side won the 2022 Premiership. The flag, emblazoned with ‘Come On The Town’, was originally made in 2020 for a Grand Final that didn’t go their way. 

“The flag that I had as we went up to get our medals, the Come On The Town one, was made in 2020 when we were in the Grand Final that year. That did not go our way, so I did not get to bring it out. I kept it in my bedroom and said, if I ever get back there again, I am bringing it up on stage. 

With time, Tuohy admitted that his growing fondness for GAA in Laois and Portlaoise has become more evident the longer he's been away.

“The longer I have been away, the more affection I have felt towards Laois GAA and Portlaoise especially because you get a little bit philosophical in your old age, in quotation marks. I am old for a footballer but later on in your career, you just get a little bit more nostalgic.

He expressed his gratitude to those who helped shape his career, acknowledging the impact of his coaches both in Australia and at Portlaoise GAA.

“I am fully aware that I would not have got the chance had it not been for my coaches here and at Portlaoise GAA putting all the work into me. I have never forgotten that, and to win it in 2022 and to be able to have a Portlaoise flag just felt fitting and a nice full-circle moment. I always planned on representing Portlaoise on the big stage if I could,” Tuohy said. Read more below picture.

Cahir Healy and Zach after Portlaoise's County Final victory in 2013

It’s been over 17 years since Tuohy played a competitive GAA game but now that he’s retired, he’s hoping to make his GAA comeback in 2025. He admits that the logistics around playing for Laois could prevent him from playing for Justin McNulty’s side.

“I would love to come back and play club football next year if possible. I guess I do not fully know what my work situation is going to be over there, so I cannot promise it, but that is certainly the plan. I have never played a Senior Championship game for Laois and I know this got circulated a bit too, but there are some pretty hefty logistical problems with that one, unfortunately. I am going to be based in Australia for the foreseeable, but I would love to do it. It just probably seems unlikely. Playing for the club is certainly on the cards and, if I can swing it at all next year, that is the plan,” he said. Read more below picture.

Playing for Laois against Kildare in the U-21 Football Championship back in 2009

The Portlaoise native remains optimistic about the future of The Town, believing the club is close to reclaiming its place at the top. 

“I am pretty optimistic about it. They have been knocking on the door for the last couple of years and have not fallen too far. I think they have probably fallen a long way by Portlaoise’s lofty standards but we are there or thereabouts. The Minors won a county title for the first time in a long time, which is a great sign. The under-20s look reasonably strong, and I think once a few of those younger guys develop, we will be back there again. Hopefully, next year I can help give us a little push towards it again, and a few of those younger lads continue developing. I do not see any reason why Portlaoise cannot be back on top very soon,” Tuohy said. 

When asked about his plans following his AFL retirement, Tuohy revealed his interest in pursuing a career in ‘media land’ while staying connected to Geelong. 

“I enjoy the media stuff, so I will probably get into media land. I will try to stay connected with Geelong in some capacity and do some work for them, probably more in the corporate space. I enjoy that sort of thing, so hopefully I will end up in media. It is the industry I am most excited about right now,” he ended.