Zach Tuohy Biography

Zach Tuohy announces his retirement at the end of the 2024 season and will finish his career as the competition's Irish games record holder.

Tuohy, 34, will hang up the boots at the end of the finals campaign after more than 280 games with the Cats and Carlton.

Zach Tuohy will break Jim Stynes' record for the most AFL games by an Irish-born player.

“It’s a strange one. I’m obviously proud I’ve been able to play as long as I have, but he’s everyone’s hero. You almost feel guilty playing more games than him,” Tuohy said.

“I knew of Jim Stynes (when I arrived), obviously. I don’t think I appreciated the significant impact he had on the game or his legacy post-career. I only got to appreciate that when I came out. I must admit, I was blown away to see how significant a character he was.”

Zach Tuohy re-signs with Geelong to play on in 2023.

Rhys Stanley and Zach Tuohy have signed one- and two-year contract extensions respectively with Geelong.

"Both Rhys and Zach have become key parts of our team over the years and we are pleased they will be continuing with us," Cats general manager of football Simon Lloyd said.

"We believe they will help us to continue to challenge for finals and a premiership. Both are great around the club and influential in the community. They are proud to be Geelong players."

Joel Selwood will remain as Geelong skipper for a ninth consecutive season in 2020.

Patrick Dangerfield and Mark Blicavs will continue as co-vice captains alongside last year's members Mitch Duncan, Tom Stewart and Zach Tuohy.

Rounding out the seven-man leadership group is Mark O'Connor, who replaces veteran defender Harry Taylor.

Joel Selwood will captain Geelong for an eighth season in 2019.

Selwood will be joined by All Australian defender Tom Stewart in Geelong's seven-man leadership group, which sees Scott Selwood fall out.

Dual best and fairest Mark Blicavs has been elevated to co-vice-captain alongside Patrick Dangerfield, the pair retaining their positions on the panel with Mitch Duncan and Zach Tuohy.

2018 deputy vice-captain Harry Taylor relinquishes his title, however remains in the group.

Zach Tuohy has all but conceded his current active record of 138 consecutive matches will end as he battles a knee injury into round one.

Sent for surgery after the Cats' finals exit in 2018, the Irishman has been confined to mostly cross-training this summer as he overcomes cartilage damage.

"Round one's going to be a race, there's no doubt about that," Tuohy told said.

"(I) haven't had a pre-season, basically, so it's just a question of how long it's going to take me to get up to speed which might be rounds two or three if it isn't round one."

Zach Tuohy will face a delayed start to pre-season after having a minor procedure to clean up his injured knee.

Zach Tuohy urges AFL clubs to realise the importance of Irish players returning home in the off-season to feature for their local Gaelic sides.

Tuohy's comments come in the wake of fellow Irish Cat Mark O'Connor being forced to apologise to club officials last month after it was discovered he had played for Dingle in its Kerry county senior championship semi-final during his off-season trip.

"If they want players to come over from here, they will have to appreciate what it is they are giving up. Most players will tell you the club means more than the county," Tuohy said.

"If the opportunity is there for a 19-year-old to leave and play for his club, [the AFL clubs] are going to have to accept it is going to happen.

"They are just going to have to wrap their heads around how much club football means to the Irish lads."

Zach Tuohy kicks the match-winning goal for Geelong in their thriller against Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium after taking a contested mark 35m out from goal with less than five seconds on the clock.

"It's kind of a dream after the siren to win the game – it was a pretty special moment and I'm obviously pretty happy that it went through, but even if it didn't I would've been proud of the fact that I put myself in that position to get the win," Tuohy said.

The full price of recruiting Patrick Dangerfield, Lachie Henderson, Gary Ablett and Zach Tuohy will be realised at the end of 2018, with Geelong preparing to be hamstrung in future trading scenarios.

Having not taken a single first-round pick since 2014, the Cats will be forced to activate two first-round selections over the next two drafts to adhere to new AFL rules.

The AFL this week confirmed to AFL.com.au that unless a club has acquired two first-round picks between 2015-2018, it cannot trade away its first-round selection for 2019.

Taylor Walker accepts a one-match ban for rough conduct after cannoning into Zac Tuohy which left the Cats defender dazed and having to leave the ground for a short period at Adelaide Oval.

Joel Selwood will captain Geelong for a seventh-straight season and is set to become the longest-serving skipper in the club's 159-year history.

Selwood will lead a seven-man leadership group with Patrick Dangerfield again appointed as vice-captain and key defender Harry Taylor to act as deputy vice-captain.

Mark Blicavs, Mitch Duncan and Scott Selwood will continue in their leadership roles, while defender Zach Tuohy has been voted into the group in his second year at the club.

Zach Tuohy believes moving further up the ground at times in 2018 will help him become an even more powerful weapon off half-back.

"It would be nice to be able to play a few more positions than I have done in the past," Tuohy said.

"I'll obviously stay at half-back and that's not going to change, but the ability to pinch-hit in a few different positions is a useful one, especially in today's game."

Patrick Dangerfield wins his second successive 'Carji' Greeves Medal at Crown Palladium, becoming the 12th Cat in the club's history to claim back-to-back awards.

Dangerfield polled 240 votes to win the prestigious gong, beating out Mitch Duncan (222.5 votes) and Zach Tuohy (219.5).

"I'm very humbled to accept this award and this is an incredible club to be a part of," Dangerfield said.

Zach Tuohy says he was keen to move to Geelong as soon as it became clear they wanted him.

"As soon as Geelong came along I was really keen, given the calibre of club they are and the calibre of people that seem to be working at the club," Tuohy said.

"Once the option was available I was all over it and I was just rapt that it finally got done."

Zach Tuohy says he can be a mentor to fellow Irishman and Geelong teammate Mark O'Connor.

"I love the idea of having Irish guys at the club and the benefit I can give him is that I would have been through the same things he is about to go through," Tuohy said.

"I can just be a sounding board. He seems like a really mature guy already, but I'll certainly be there to help him in anyway I can."

Zach Tuohy has got his wish, with the Carlton running defender traded to Geelong after nominating the Cats as his preferred destination on the first day of the NAB AFL Trade Period.

In return, the Blues got Cats forward Billie Smedts, a future first-round pick and the No.63 pick the Cats gained after trading Shane Kersten to Fremantle.

Along with the 26-year-old Tuohy, Geelong received a future second-round pick from Carlton.

Brett Deledio and Zach Tuohy have both nominated Geelong as their preferred destination on the opening day of the NAB AFL Trade period.

However, Cats list manager Stephen Wells said the club would have to get creative to sort out a suitable trade for Deledio and Tuohy, and to fit both players within their salary cap.

"Trying to find a way to fit in all that, to fit in those boys, won't be easy," Wells told SEN radio.

"We've got meetings this morning to go through how we might be able to get all this done.

"If we gave up one of our ripper players, that we were always going to keep, that would get it done. But we're not going to do that and we don't want to do that."

Zach Tuohy has thrown his support behind Marc Murphy to retain the Blues' captaincy.

"From my point of view I'd like to see Murph run on as captain," Tuohy said.

"I think he's had a tough time over the last few years, he's been much-maligned and the way he's held himself the last few years … he's a player I respect incredibly."

Zach Tuohy is named as part of the Irish squad that will take on the Indigenous Australian Rules team in two Test matches later this month.

Former Brisbane Lions and St Kilda player Colm Begley and Ciaran Kilkenny, who left Hawthorn last Christmas after a brief stint as an international rookie will also form part of Ireland's 29-man squad.

Carlton defender and Irishman Zach Tuohy says his reliable kicking is based on him not overthinking his kicks.

"They just sent me out a couple of footys back home. I used to just go out with a couple of my mates and we'd kick around," Tuohy said.

"When I did come here to get technical about how to hold it and how to kick it - the more I thought, the worse I got.

"I tried to blank everything out and just get it going somewhere straight and I think it's worked for me."

Irishman Zach Tuohy says he intends to take up an Australian citizenship as he makes himself more at home in his adopted country.

"In the early days I always planned on going home (to Ireland after football), but the longer I stayed here the more and more I liked it," Tuohy said.

"I still may go home, but instead of being in the position where it's predetermined by having a visa, I'd rather look for citizenship and give myself the option that if I wanted to stay here at the end of it, I could."

Zach Tuohy makes his AFL debut for Carlton at Football Park with 3 disposals (3 kicks) and 2 marks in a 62-point win over Port Adelaide.

Irish Blues recruit Zach Tuohy will make his debut for Carlton against the Power in Adelaide.

"I am very excited and really looking forward to the game as it is a big step in my career," Tuohy said.

"Having my parents over here in Australia adds to the occasion for me and it will be great to have them in the stands in Adelaide. I can't wait to get over there and give it a crack. I'm too excited to be nervous now."