LAOIS NATIVE ZACH Tuohy is to seek Australian citizenship as he prepares for his fourth season with AFL outfit Carlton Blues.
Tuohy, a 2007 Leinster minor championship winner with Laois, featured for Ireland in the 2011 International Rules series.
The 23 year-old Portlaoise native’s current two-year contract expires at the end of this season, along with his current two-year visa, and he is now in the process of attempting to secure both Australian and Irish citizen status.
“In the early days I always planned on going home (to Ireland), but the longer I stayed here the more and more I liked it,” Tuohy told the official Carlton Blues website.
“I still may go home, but instead of being in the position where it’s pre-determined 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.
“I’ve always loved being here and the longer you stay in any one place the more settled you get, the more friends you make and the more you like the lifestyle.
“Going home last off-season made me realize how willing I’d be to stay here, as much as I love home and would go home every year regardless.”
Originally taken by Carlton as an International rookie with selection 73 in 2010, Tuohy has now made 30 senior appearances in his senior career as an AFL footballer.
He has progressed from the youngster who regretted his decision to pack lightly on his maiden trip Down Under.
“The first time I came to Australia, I don’t know when it was but it was towards the back end of the season, the very first game I ever saw was a reserves game up at Ballarat.
“I’d packed nothing but t-shirts and shorts because I figured ‘I’m going to Australia, it’s going to be hot’ and the wind at Ballarat just sliced me up.”
