Zach Tuohy reveals desire to guide more young GAA stars towards AFL switch

One of Kerry's rising stars announced a move down under yesterday.

Yesterday, Geelong Cats announced that they had agreed a deal with Kerry to take 21-year-old Cillian Burke down under on a ‘Category B Rookie’ contract.

A two-time Munster U20 winner who can play anywhere from wing-back to half-forward, the Milltown man is a major coup for the AFL but a huge loss to the Kingdom.

Burke’s move sees him replace the outgoing Tuohy, who announced his retirement from AFL after 15 years down under.

In his upcoming memoir, The Irish Experiment - due to be released in Ireland on 19 November - the 34-year-old recalled a 2017 newspaper column written by Ó Sé when AFL clubs were interested in David Clifford a year after fellow Kerryman Mark O’Connor had signed a contract for The Cats.

"He (Ó Sé) went on to say he wanted players to stay at home and ‘follow their dreams’ in Kerry and not ‘on the other side of the planet’," Tuohy wrote in excerpts from the book published in today's Irish Examiner. "And just in case Mark O’Connor wasn’t clear on how the locals felt about his departure from Kerry to Geelong, Ó Sé added: ‘There are people in Dingle heartbroken that Mark O’Connor is gone’.

"But what if the player’s dream is to play sport for a living? How do they do that in Kerry? Sure, they might get a ‘job’ from a sponsor that requires little involvement so they can focus on training, but how many players does that happen for? And in how many counties does it happen? Kerry is a superpower and has the resources to match. It doesn’t happen in counties like Laois.

Tuohy continued: "It’s funny how, when a players leave GAA to play rugby, there aren’t any such columns. None of the commentators seem to care. In fact, these players often get complimented on the increased skill level that their Gaelic football background has brought to rugby.

"But a player going to Australia to play Australian Rules? That automatically means the AFL is evil," he added. They’ve taken an Irish player aware from the love of the game to a weekly pay cheque.

"And don’t get me started on golf. Shane Lowry played Gaelic football for Clara, then left to tour the world as a professional golfer. How dare he? His dad Brendan, along with Shane’s two uncles, won an All-Ireland with Offaly in 1982. With that pedigree, how could he leave Gaelic football.

"I haven’t been able to find Tomás’ article critiquing Shane Lowry for leaving or lamenting Clara’s inability to protect their players from the invading forces of the PGA Tour, but I’m sure it’s out there somewhere.

"Why is AFL an evil code you can’t give in to, but everything else is fine? In case you haven’t picked up on it, I have a serious issue with anyone who dares to block an opportunity for a young player."

Tuohy became the most-capped Irish player in AFL history last year when he surpassed Jim Stynes record of 264 appearances, and is one of just four Irish players to win an AFL premiership - along with teammate Mark O’Connor, Tadhg Kennelly and Conor McKenna.

He revealed that he now sees himself as assisting players make the move to Australia.

"The future is bright for potential Irish recruits," he said. "With a 19th team – the Tasmania Devils – joining the competition in 2027, the number of players required will increase, so there’ll be more opportunities. At some point, I’d like to be involved in helping Irish players make the most of that.

"I look back to the draft combine I did in Limerick and I know I’d like to facilitate that for young Irish players. I’m passionate about athletes getting the opportunity to be professional, if that’s their goal. And the reality is, the GAA is never turning professional.

"In GAA, you play for the love of the game. Believe me, I know – I couldn’t live it more. But you can’t lodge love of the game in your bank accounts, and I can assure you that it doesn’t help to secure a mortgage, or pay one off, for that matter. Realistically, for Gaelic footballers who want sport to be their livelihood, the AFL is the best option."

For Tuohy, many Laois fans were hoping that his retirement would coincide with the prospect of him donning a Laois jersey once again.

It seems as though that is very much the Portlaoise man’s plan aswell.

Speaking to The Irish News earlier this month, Tuohy said: “I’ve always wanted to play a senior championship game for Laois.

“I was back home in 2022 and witnessed the intensity of their training—let me tell you, if that’s the level required for inter-county football, I might be in trouble!

“I’m eager to give it a go in 2025 for sure,” he added.