We spoke with Zach Tuohy in August after he announced his AFL retirement.
After announcing his retirement from Australian Rules last week, Zach Tuohy is adamant that he will be lining out with Portlaoise once again in the coming seasons.
Tuohy and his Geelong team-mates are now down to the last couple of games of this season, beginning this weekend with the first of their playoff games away to Port Adelaide.
Geelong finished third after the regular season, meaning they comfortably made the ‘finals’, which will be played out every weekend across the month of September. The Grand Final itself is on September 28.
Speaking on the LaoisToday Laois Football Podcast this week, Tuohy explains that he has a number of commitments in Australia after his season finishes – though that may not be in enough time for him to play with Portlaoise this year.
If it is, he’ll be straight back in with Aidan Fennelly’s side and set to appear for the club for the first time since the 2015 final replay win over Emo.
Geelong’s almost permanent appearances in the latter stages of the season – compared to his previous club Carlton – meant that he was rarely finished in time to play with Portlaoise.
Portlaoise are in quarter-final action on September 14-15 with the semi-finals on September 29 and the final on Sunday, October 13, if they make it that far.
“I’ll be getting home as soon as I can,” he said. “Hopefully our season (in Australia) carries on a bit longer and then I will have some post-retirement commitments on this end which I’ll try wrap up as soon as I can.
“I don’t know if I will make it back in time this year but I will be doing everything I can next year and probably for a few years after to come back and play for Portlaoise.”
He’ll be turning 35 at the end of this year and said if his body obliges and he remains injury free he says “I don’t see any reason why I can’t put up a couple of years playing club football for Portlaoise”.
“Who knows about Laois, we’ll have to wait and see. Certainly Portlaoise will be getting a few years service out of me.”
He says it’s ‘possible’ he could play a part this year. “They’re constantly on to me. But look I’d take no convincing. This isn’t like they have to sweet talk me or anything. It’s whether timing works out is the only issue.
“As soon as I can give a bit of service back to the club, I’ll be doing it.”
He explains that while he won’t be moving home for good, he “will be putting aside a couple of months aside each year to come back and play”.
As for playing with Laois?
“I’ve never played a senior championship game for Laois and I would love to do it.
“Body was always going to be an issue. I will say one thing. When I was back home the last time in 2022 I went up and watched the Laois seniors train one night and I can confidently say, if that’s the intensity required to train for intercounty football, I won’t be playing. Can categorically tell you that.
“It was a freezing cold night and I don’t think I have ever seen a more intense warm up and training session.
“I can tell you, I can barely run when it’s 29 degrees, I don’t think I’ll get my body moving on a cold winter’s night like that.
“I was watching it with one of my (Geelong) team-mates and one of my coaches who had come over for my wedding and we were all just staggered what was going on. Fascinating – not right or wrong. Just different.”
You can listen to the episode in full here.
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