UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE of the GAA to the players he was trying to recruit was the first big lesson he took from his trips to Ireland.
A poacher of talent to some, tempting impressionable young men away from their one true path. To others, Gerard Sholly was a scout simply presenting an offer to play a professional sport. It all depends on who you’re talking to.
His job was to assess emerging Gaelic footballers for their potential to thrive in the AFL. And he went about his business while always trying to be respectful towards the sport that had molded them.
So, when Sholly identified a young Zach Tuohy as a possible recruit for the Carlton Blues club, he used the same careful approach for the acquisition. And that starts with a home visit to get the blessing of the parents.
“One thing I’ve learned when I go to Ireland is that you have to look after Mammy,” Sholly tells The 42 as he remembers his first meeting with Tuohy’s parents Noel and Marie.
“They were great from the get go. I met up with Marie and Noel a few times when they came to Australia when Zach was at the start of his career.”
Sholly picked Tuohy from the bunch while attending the 2007 All-Ireland minor football semi-final between Laois and Derry. Tuohy scored a goal for Laois that day from wing-back after previously slotting two 45s in the quarter-final against Roscommon, and another point in their Leinster final win over Carlow.
“He just showed enough in that game,” Sholly recalls of his first impressions of the Portlaoise man in the All-Ireland semi-final, “scoring off the half-back line and showing real pace and power. He just came to my attention immediately.”
Within two years, Tuohy was flying to Melbourne to begin his AFL journey with Carlton after impressing in a two-week trial despite struggling with homesickness. The fortitude he demonstrated while being weighed down by that torment was one of the reasons the Carlton chiefs wanted him on their books.
“What they saw from him was the power and the speed,” says Sholly. “And he’s a good size. Also, in those days, an 18- or 19-year-old lad on his own gutting it out is a massive tick to a club. In the committee rooms they’d be saying, ‘This kid’s pretty tough. It’s not easy to do what he’s doing. We know he’s going through issues with homesickness, and being the worst player on the pitch as well.’
“He had come from being a good player in your own county to basically being the worst player. So, Zach could survive and push through the toughness and hardships of it, knowing he had the power and speed. They had a lot of faith in him.
“It was a big ask. Despite the fact that we speak the same language and have a lot of cultural sameness, you’re still going to your room every night and closing the door and you’re by yourself. The pull from home is huge. He’s a massive supporter of the Town in his club in Portlaoise. Every single player, whether they come from Ireland or rugby league in other countries, there’s always going to be enormous pressure to come home.”
Sholly now considers himself to be “semi-retired” although he’s still involved in a talent identification programme in Ireland for the AFL. He started professional life as a PE teacher. He then got a job with the Collingwood club and eventually began working for different AFL clubs including Fremantle, Western Bulldogs and Carlton.
He has been travelling to Ireland for the purpose of talent identification sine the 1990s, and is responsible for some famous GAA to AFL transfers. Cork’s Ó hAilpín brothers Aisake and Setanta joined Carlton Blues under his watch, as did former Rebel footballer Michael Shields. Ciarán Sheehan was on course to join the Blues along with Tuohy after the both completed the same trial together, but Sheehan opted to stay at home in the end. He became an All-Ireland champion with the Cork footballers the following season, and eventually enlisted for the Melbourne-based side in 2013.
Ciarán Byrne, who recently returned to play for his native Louth, is another of Sholly’s finds for the AFL. And had injuries not derailed him, a career that is comparable to Tuohy’s could have been his.
“If I had to pick a standout player, I think it was Ciarán Byrne from Louth. He only played about 15 games and was cut short by a collection of injuries which curtailed his career and even when he went to Ireland, he’s only just made it onto the pitch for Louth this season. He could have been a Zach Tuohy, I’m pretty confident.”
Tuohy’s time in the AFL is the envy of every Irish prospect who swaps the O’Neill’s for the Sherrin. With Carlton Blues, he made his debut in 2011 and clocked up 120 appearances before joining Geelong Cats in 2016. He went on to reach his 200th AFL appearance in 2020, becoming just the second Irish-born player to do it after the late, great Jim Stynes.
Tuohy broke new ground in the 2023 season by playing his 265th game to set a new record for the number of appearances for an Irish player. Those numbers, in conjunction with his Premiership success alongside Mark O’Connor with the Cats in 2022, completes a remarkable legacy for both Tuohy, and Sholly, who opened the door for him.
“Your job is to try and identify players, and I absolutely love when the boys do well as much as the love the boys who don’t make it. The boys should be proud of what they do themselves, that’s their job. I’m proud of my job and I’m happy for them. I follow them closely and I’m thrilled for the boys when they do well.
“I’ve got huge respect for the ones who come out and give it their best. Not everybody can make it but I still the respect that they put themselves in a position to fail. That’s tough to do.”
As another generation of Irish players embark on their own AFL journey, Tuohy is now an important point of reference for them, an example of how much an Irishman can achieve in a new sport thousands of miles from home. When Tuohy first started out, players were “left to their own devices”, according to Sholly. Homesickness was something they had to self-soothe and ride out. The road ahead was a mystery with only a few examples to learn from.
“It’s a much better system these days,” Sholly continues, “so Zach was a bit of a trailblazer for some of the other boys. I know he’s certainly a port of call for Irish boys coming to Australia now, to get advice off him.
“There’s always players around who they can make a phone call to ask them about their experiences and what to expect. They’re far more attuned to what’s happening out here.”
Sholly tends to step back after his part in a new AFL international signing is complete. He kept in touch with Tuohy over the years though, and followed his career with interest. Tuohy finished up on 287 AFL matches as he was left out of selection for Geelong’s recent defeat to the Brisbane Lions which kept them out of the Grand Final.
His sense of humour made him a hit with the media, according to Sholly, while his athletic facilities never waned throughout a distinguished career that lasted 13 years. His place in the sport is chiseled in stone.
“The legacy he leaves is beyond his football career,” says Sholly. “He’s been an outstanding example of what you can achieve when you come from another country and pick up another sport, and he should be highly regarded for the example he’s set. I couldn’t speak more highly of him, I’m incredibly happy for him.”
As much as I want England to win the World Cup and Erasmus to lose it, I’d absolutely love if Jones walked away with a World Cup winners medal. I know he had an offer on the table from munster and he turned it down but I can’t help but feeling he’s a loss to Irish rugby and that the IRFU and munster should have done more to keep him involved, even if it wasn’t with Munster.
@Jim Demps: really. Surprised.
Dont want to bad mouth the man, he was a great player. But tbought, he was a very poor attack coach. Herd from a source in the camp, that the players were getting depressed with the lack of invention in regards to attack play.
Do wish him well tho
@Paddy Waggon: era he’s only 32 as well, if we want to be developing Irish coaches then we need to give them a chance.
@Jim Demps: It was probably the best time for him personally to get away given he’s not tied down with family yet so the world is his oyster and a change of scenery is probably needed given how much of a target he became for the keyboard warriors. He’ll have no trouble finding himself work and there’s no way that’s the last of him coaching within the IRFU.
@Eddie Hekenui: yeah I’d hope he’ll come back in alright. As it stands there aren’t a whole pile of Irish lads in front line roles, Carolan and Duffy in connacht, Leo Cullen and Jared Payne would be about it. It’d be nice to see a few lads progress a bit and have a few more Irish lads ready to take on big roles. Rog, Davidson, Kidney, McCall are all top class coaches and the IRFU should be trying to get them employed at home.
@Jim Demps: I don’t see the need to have them all employed in Ireland. That just creates a closed loop. Far better to have them start off here, earn their spurs and then head off to wherever they can get jobs to experience different ideas, experiences and cultures. Then they can take all that knowledge and bring it back to Ireland. Them moving on also clears space for another young coach or two to move up the ladder.
@Jim Demps: Hugh Hogan is doing a good job at Leinster. He gained most of his knowledge in the AIL, good to see coaches from that level stepping up. Can see him continuing to progress.
@Eddie Hekenui: yeah that’s fair enough but the Irfu haven’t seemed too interested in bringing lads back yet. Of the last few high profile jobs in the country I’d love to have seen how many of the Irish lads I mentioned were spoken to by the IRFU. Conor o Shea is another guy who would have been a huge addition.
@Jim Demps: Well I think they have had their chance a few times with O’Shea, he took up a job with the RFU now so that’s him lost for a few more years. I’d really like to see him in the IRFU Management side of things rather than coaching, he does a good job on the field but I think he’s strategically better than most people think and his role with the Olympic Team GB prior to London shouldn’t be overlooked either. Is there an Australian out of contract in two years which Conor might be good at???
@ThatLJD: I think that’s be the ideal situation, having o shea in for nucifora. Conor has shown time and time again that he’s one of the best rugby administrators out there and it’d be great to have him running the show.
@Eddie Hekenui: yep. Rog gaining massive experience
@Jim Demps: I heard from a source? Yeah right
@Chris Tobin: fellas get too excited on here when they see me comment. Don’t even have to say anything anymore to trigger lads
@Chris Tobin: yeah, I’d also question the insistsnce that players became depressed by tactics. It should have told the commenter all they needed to know about their source.
@Eddie Hekenui: married, mortgage and 2 young kids. That’s about as tied down as you can get.
@Joe O’Doherty: Not really. Much harder to move when kids are older and you’re thinking about schools etc. You never hear coaches talk about mortgages etc when it comes to jobs but you hear them talking about their kids all the time.
Delighted for Felix. Contributed so much to Munster. He will be the first Irish man to win a rugby World Cup medal. Will it be gold or silver?
@Ivan O’Riordan: Kyran Bracken in 2003
@Eoin Jaypee: Wouldn’t be calling Bracken an Irishman. Lived his whole life in England.
@Eoin Jaypee: A couple of other candidates
Stephen Moore – Silver in 2015 – has strong Irish connections
Two Irish parents. Lived in Tuam for 5 years. Not born in Australia (not here either though).
John Gallagher from the 87 NZ team was similar and won the tournament. Born to two Irish parents in London before they emigrated to NZ, but I don’t think he ever lived in Ireland
@Chris Mansfield: Gallagher played for Ireland a back in the day too
@Chris Mansfield: Father from that great rugby stronghold ….Limerick City!!
@Ardmore02: and yet the Duke of Wellington can be considered Irish too. Different countries have different rules.
All his famous attacking expertise was really on display last Sunday.
@KH: Obviously worked better than Schmidt’s !!
@KH: Not Jones gig as he’s not the attack coach.
@KH: so quick to throw in a negative comment that you forgot what his role is.
@KH: made a right fool of yourself there kid
@Timmy O’Toole:
Dont worry @KH just look at the posters that are hitting at you .
@Martin Quinn:
He is a good guy, talked to him when he was up in Leinster and him and some other coaches dropped over to our club:: Down to earth and knew his stuff !!! Very happy for him as this could be a good thing to have on your CV.
As stolen from the internet….the moment you realise Matt Damon has won more world cups than Ireland.
Sad but true.
Good luck to Felix.
@Hirrison Mirk: you understand how movies work right?
@Dave O Keeffe: and France Scotland Wales and Argentina. Not just Ireland
@Dave O Keeffe: they act as a distraction from our World Cup campaign?
Absolutely delighted for Stephen Jones. I hope he gets a winner’s medal in Japan. It is fantastic that we have so many young Irish coaches going overseas to gain experience outside of the Irish model and bodes well for the future. I would love to see a structure in place that got them spending some time working in school rugby.
@Mr. Common Sense: Stephen?
@Ivan O’Riordan:
Lad read the page for God sake
FELIX JONES
Every time you want to praise England your reminded of how much of a foul, smug, little odious man Eddie Jones is.
Was going to support England, as the Northern Hemisphere team, in Saturday’s RWC final. But this bolt-from-the-blue revelation of a young Irishman, former International, being so closely involved behind the scenes with the Springboks has left one in a serious but very short-term dilemma.
Go Felix!
Hon’ the Boks!
Great experience for him.
Well deserved, especially after the way he was treated at Munster. They could regret that.
@Tom McGirr: Explain to us how he was treated at Munster please?
It’s such a shame that Felix had to retire from playing so young. He could easily be backup up to Bob until next RWC.