What Zach Tuohy has achieved in Australia will probably never be fully appreciated here.
Playing a different game in a different country, especially one as far away as Australia, means that while there is an acknowledgement that he has done well, there isn’t widespread understanding of how big a deal he actually is.
But the records and the achievements keep on coming.
In 2022 he became only the second ever Irish person (his team-mate Mark O’Connor was the third!) to win an AFL Grand Final after Tadhg Kennelly with the Sydney Swans in 2005.
And last week he overtook Jim Stynes’s 25-year record as the Irish player with the most appearances – his 265th game coming in a comfortable win over North Melbourne.
With fewer than 2% of all AFL players ever reaching the 250-game milestone across their careers, Tuohy’s 265 games (with potentially up to 10 more still to come this season) highlights the elite company he is in.
Now it has been confirmed that Tuohy will be releasing his autobiography in 2024.
The book will be published simultaneously in Ireland and Australia and will be co-written by Catherine Murphy, a journalist with ABC in Australia but a native of Cavan.
The book is set to be published in November 2024.
“The memoir will be a candid and colourful reflection on the path that led Tuohy into the AFL system and onto becoming the all-time games record holder for an Irish player in the AFL,” said a statement from the publishers.
“The book will also be a fascinating record and insight into the dynamics and tensions, both sides of the world, around the increasing number of promising Gaelic footballers getting drafted into the AFL and AFLW.”
Tuohy turns 34 later this year and is on a one-year contract with Geelong, whom he has been with for the past seven seasons. Prior to that he was with Carlton in Melbourne since 2009.
Tuohy lives in Geelong with his wife Becca and two young sons but has always said he wishes to return to live in Portlaoise.
Only last week he reiterated his plans to play again with his beloved Portlaoise GAA.
“I’d love to do it [play for Laois]. I’m very public about the fact that I want to do it,” he told the Irish Times in an interview.
“The level of training at home is off the charts so my body is going to have to be willing to co-operate.
“Hopefully I have a couple of years left here, so as long as my body lets me I ‘d love to play at least one or a handful of championship games for Laois, but we’ll have to see how I pull up post-career.
“I can fairly categorically tell you I will be playing club football with Portlaoise, if my body lets me I’d also like to also play intercounty but will definitely play for Portlaoise.”
