Geelong’s Zach Tuohy says the AFL will get through the coronavirus crisis
Irishman Zach Tuohy says he’s confident football can emerge strongly from the coronavirus crisis, detailing how Geelong’s players plan to stay fit during the AFL’s two-month shutdown.
Geelong
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Geelong defender Zach Tuohy has issued an impassioned battle cry to AFL fans, declaring we’re all hurting but we’ll get through the game’s worst crisis in its history.
The Irish backman has spoken of the “logistical nightmare” the players faced trying to remain fit and ready to play while the game was shut down due to coronavirus.
But he said that paled into insignificance compared to what the wider industry and the community was going through.
“We will get through it, there’s absolutely no doubt whatsoever,” he told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“For what it’s worth, we’ll do whatever we can and whatever it takes to protect the game and the club and the people in them.
“The industry is suffering big time, but we’ll get through it.”
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Tuohy said it was a ‘gut-wrenching’ time as clubs shed staff in an attempt to stay afloat amid the global pandemic.
“We (the players) are going to be the least affected out of most people in this industry and most people in society,” he said.
“There’s a very real concern about the future of the game and clubs.
“There are people at our club who are employees but who I consider friends that are wondering about their futures and it’s just gut-wrenching.
“It’s difficult because there are mortgages to pay and I’ve got kids to heed and all that, but we’re doing not too badly.
“I’m much more concerned about the people at our club, and we all know it’s such a globally scary time.
“We know we’ll get through it though.”
Geelong’s players have been sent a fitness program to follow while they’re away from the club.
The former Blue said trying to follow it was proving difficult as players try to adjust to these extraordinary times.
“It’s a bit of a logistical nightmare from both the club’s point of view and the players’ point of view I can assure you of that,” Tuohy said.
“I have gone for a run but the weights are going to be the interesting one in terms of how we do that from home.
“But we have programs that have been sent out by email and we can still touch base with everyone obviously but it’s just no physical contact.”
He said he was currently looking to purchase some weights to use around the house, but he admitted he might need to improvise.
“There’s some stuff around the house I can use, but there’s going to be a lot of makeshift exercises,” he said.
“Our weights coach and fitness guys are going to earn their money because they’re going to have to design a program of players lifting dinner plates and boxes at home, so it’s going to be interesting.”
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