“I’m sorry for Kerry listeners, he doesn’t seem to be homesick yet.” – Zach Tuohy on Mark O’Connor

High praise from a teammate, but it mightn't be music to Kerry fan's ears.

This time last year Zach Tuohy made the move to AFL club Geelong, and he's had a brilliant year with the Cats, playing more minutes than any other player on the club's roster. Speaking in an interview with Colm Parkinson on The GAA Hour Show on Thursday, he attributed his success with the club to a lack of injuries, and "happiness off the field" in the homely Geelong area. Another man who has been on form for the Victoria side is former Kerry All-Ireland minor winning captain, Mark O'Connor. The Dingle club man completed an astounding rise through the AFL ranks when he made his debut for the club's senior side in May, and from there it has only been onwards and upwards for the 20-year-old. Unfortunately for Kingdom football fans, this man won't be returning home any time soon, according to Tuohy.

"Unfortunately for them (Kerry people) he's absolutely flying. To play AFL in your first year is phenomenal. For a young lad he's incredibly switched on, and speaking to the Kerry lads on the team here, (with the International Rules) I think he's been like that for a while," began the Laois man. "He's really diligent, and I'm sorry to say for the Kerry listeners, he doesn't seem to be too homesick just yet. I think ye might be without him for a little while longer, because he's going incredibly well for us," added Tuohy.

To put his rise into perspective, along with Colm Begley he is one of the few Irish AFL players in recent times to have made their debut in their first season Down Under.

"In the recent era, I'm not sure that has happened outside of him and Colm Begley. We were a very strong team this year, so it was a very hard team to break into at the best of times, never mind only having played four or five games in your life," said the 27-year-old.

That's some going, and according to Tuohy, he's only going to get better.

"He's a remarkable young fella, an incredible athlete. He's one of our fittest guys, he judges the high ball really well, which was something I picked up on really early, but it doesn't happen, it's phenomenal what he's done," he added.

He might not be coming home soon, but he's doing you proud out there, Kerry folk. You can listen to the full Tuohy interview here from 29"00'. https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/zach-tuohy-david-breen-interviews-denis-bastic-love-gpa-wages