Retiring Geelong Zach Tuohy reflects on his career as Tom Hawkins details a hilarious pre-game story
Zach Tuohy’s time as a Cat might be done, but coach Chris Scott believes a career in the footy media beckons. Plus, Tuohy reflects on his career and Tom Hawkins details a hilarious pre-game story.
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Zach Tuohy’s illustrious AFL career may be over, but premiership coach Chris Scott is adamant he should step into the footy media.
Scott was one of the key figures in the room – along with retiring champion Tom Hawkins and Cats recruiting doyen Stephen Wells – that met with Tuohy to lure him to the Cats from Carlton in 2016.
Since then he has shared an interesting relationship with the Portlaoise product, with Scott often the butt of his jokes.
He feels Tuohy’s nature is perfect for a media role, but he urged fans not to forget his on-field impact.
“Nigel Lappin and I can both attest he is hanging on every word in every word in every meeting, not because he’s got any interest at all in the tactical analysis that we’re taking them through, he’s just looking for one little slip up or one word that no one but him understands so he can get a laugh,” Scott said at Geelong’s best-and-fairest.
“I think that we should get ‘Reg’ along to every Carji Greeves Medal for at least the next 10 or 20 years just for the entertainment value.
“If Zach Tuohy doesn’t end up in the media, then no player in the history of the game should go into the media, he was just born for it.
“It would be nice for him taking the p--s out of somebody else other than me.
“But don’t forget what a good player he was, he was a star. It was such a great move for us to bring him into our footy club.”
Hawkins, who took to the stage with Tuohy, 34, at the Carji Greeves Medal, said that the words they exchanged on the field as opponents couldn’t be repeated.
But he shared Scott’s sentiment about the Irishman’s ability to enthuse everyone he came into contact with.
“Ironically we have become teammates and shared some pretty special moments,” Hawkins said.
“The joy he brings other people, the supporters that follow our great club, the people internally that he has an impact on and just allows them to be themselves and enjoy it.”
“I have always admired his ability through the tough times to really enjoy himself.”
Hawkins himself had the crowd roaring with laughter when host Jacqui Felgate dug up a story about the big Cat helping a cow give birth before one game.
“I was a bit flustered because the calf I delivered had two heads,” Hawkins chuckled.
“It was on game day and I had my dad on a phone call and he said, actually I don’t need to get into what he said.
“I delivered a two-headed calf, which is probably a bit of a reflection on my breeding program.”
It was certainly a range of emotions for ‘Toma-Hawk’, who was left emotional after Tuohy described what an honour it has been playing alongside him.
“Coming to the club, there’s a handful of people across the league whose reputation is undisputed and it was pretty clear that when I came here I was going to see up close one of the all-time greats,” Tuohy said.
“However good you think Hawk is, I can tell you he is a lot better.
“When I’m in the stands in 40-50 years and I’m taking my two boys with me and they got their kids, I’m still going to be telling them I played with Tom Hawkins.”
ELUSIVE FLAG
The 2022 grand final siren is still ringing in Tuohy’s head.
But Tuohy wondered if that elusive premiership would desert him – even at a club like Geelong that always pushed to contend.
He feared that even if they were good enough to win one, he may not be good enough to be in the side.
Sure enough, he got his wish in his 250th game at the age of 32, with images of Tuohy draped in the Irish flag entrenched in the minds of Cats fans.
“It has been an overwhelming motivation in the backhalf of my career to win one and, I know I have spoken to Danger about this in the past, but before we won one it had almost become an unhealthy obsession,” Tuohy said.
“When I think about that day, a lot of memories spring to mind. All the players are on the interchange, but the realisation hit me when I saw everyone on the interchange hugging and embracing.
“I remember thinking the 2020 grand final and the 2021 prelim, which is easily the worst loss of my career.”
Tuohy was dropped by Scott for what would have been his final game in the preliminary final loss to Brisbane.
But despite that selection snub, he is forever thankful for Scott’s faith in his veterans and his continued push to win a premiership every single year.
“(Contending every year) doesn’t guarantee anything, it actually ironically increases the likelihood of devastation at the end of every year because they are so hard to win,” Tuohy said.
“I am grateful that I play for a club and have coaches led by Scotty who would continually put their aggots on the line.
“Based on what we dished up in the ’21 prelim, it would have been easy to say it was a good time to push out some of the old boys, but he just refuses to do it.
“You refuse to give up on your senior players and I have never taken that for granted.“
For Hawkins, 2022 holds a special place in his heart given the modest goalkicker felt he “rode the coat tails” of others in the early years of success, but it’s not his favourite flag.
In fact, it is his VFL premiership in 2007 in his first season at the Cats that stands out.
“That was my first experience of grand final day and I’ll never forget that experience that I had with senior players at the time and how much I learned throughout my first year of football,” Hawkins said.
PROFOUND IMPACT
It was Geelong Football Club’s night of nights, but Tuohy was full of thanks for Carlton’s role in giving him his AFL shot.
The Blues through seasoned recruiter Gerard Sholly plucked the speedster out of county Laois at the age of 20.
Tuohy played 120 games with the Blues before being traded to Geelong along with a future second round pick for Billie Smedts, a future first round pick and pick 63 in the 2016 trade period.
“It was Carlton who that initially took a punt when they didn’t have to. I spent my entire adult life in Australia, given I grew up on the other side of the world I would say that is pretty fortunate and I certainly haven’t forgotten that it was them who gave me that opportunity,” Tuohy said.
But along with his loving wife Bec – who he jokingly referred to as his housemate – the biggest thanks went to assistant and development coach Nigel Lappin.
“There has been lots of people who have had an impact on me, lots of players and lots of coaches, but Nig – I told you to your face what I think of you in front of the players,” Tuohy said.
“I won’t regurgitate exactly I said then because it made you more uncomfortable than anybody else, but outside of my parents, I don’t think anybody has had more of a profound impact on me as a person as a player than Nigel Lappin and I’m very, very grateful for you for that.”
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