Zach Tuohy will become the joint most capped Irish player ever in Australian Rules tomorrow, when he makes his 264th appearance, equalling the record previously set by the legendary Jim Stynes.
Having become just the second Irish player to win a Premiership (following on from Tadhg Kennelly with the Sydney Swans), Tuohy is now set to write his name further into the AFL history books.
All going to plan he will beat Stynes’s record next week.
Stynes, who won the prestigious Brownlow Medal (for the overall player of the year) in 1991 has held the record for 25 years.
But he will be overtaken by Tuohy on Friday night when Geelong play the Sydney Swans in the SCG in Sydney.
Tuohy first went to Australia in 2009 when he signed a rookie contract with the Carlton.
He was originally spotted playing with the Laois minor footballers in 2007 and recruited by the Melbourne club.
Tuohy made 120 appearances for them but left after the 2016 season when he signed a four-year contract with Geelong, a much stronger club with ambitions of winning the AFL Premiership.
He played in the 2020 final which Geelong lost but they bounced back in style to win last year’s decider.
Now in his seventh season with the club (and on his third contract, currently a one-year deal), the scale of his achievement is massive.
Tuohy has always said he will return to live in Portlaoise where he plans to play with his home club and with Laois.
He got married to his long-term partner Beccy last year when he was home and has business interests in Portlaoise as owner of the Wandering Elk coffee shop.
He is adored Down Under and will look to equal history against Sydney Swans tomorrow.
Ahead of the game, his club Portlaoise paid tribute to him.
They said: “What a man. Congrats to our boy Zach on this amazing feat – about to overcome the legendary Jim Stynes as the most capped Irish player in the history of the AFL.
“Mind boggling stuff – what credit he has brought to his parents Noel and Marie, his family, friends, his club, county and country.
“Well done Zach we are chuffed for you. 🙌🇳🇬🇭🇳🇮🇪.”
