The Irish Experiment

Zach Tuohy grew up a sports-mad youngster committed to his two loves: Liverpool FC and ‘The Town’, his local Portlaoise Gaelic football club. His teenage dream: winning an All-Ireland with his county, Laois.

But then, at the age of seventeen, the Australian Football League (AFL) came calling and Zach had some difficult decisions to make.

With refreshing honesty, occasional modesty and plenty of ‘change-room’ insights, Tuohy tells the story of leaving behind his intercounty dreams to follow a new path. From the lows of his days with Carlton – a club in disarray – to the highs of winning a Premiership medal with Geelong in 2022, it tracks his journey as he cements his place as one of the greatest success stories of the ‘Irish experiment’. Candid and often hilarious, he also has plenty to say about the much-debated International Rules Series and the relationship between the indigenous codes of the GAA and the AFL.

The Irish Experiment is a no-holds-barred look at what it takes to become an Irish professional footballer, and of finding a home, thousands of miles away from the one you left behind.