AFL winner Zach Tuohy inks one-year contract extension at Geelong

The Laois man helped his side to AFL Premiership glory after their Grand Final win over the Sydney Swans in September

Zach Tuohy: Contract extension.

Zach Tuohy is one of five players to sign contract extensions at AFL champions Geelong.

Tuohy has signed a one-year extension to his contract to remain at the club for the 2023 AFL season. He will join Kerryman Mark O’Connor at the club after he signed a two year contract extension earlier in the year.

Meanwhile, fellow Cats players Tom Hawkins and Isaac Smith have signed one year extensions, while Tom Atkins and Zach Guthrie have both added a further two years to their deals.

The Portlaoise man will play his 13th season of AFL in 2023, after playing his 250th game in last month's Grand Final, placing him within just 14 games of the legendary Jim Stynes for the most games played by an Irishman. It is a record expected to be broken in the regular season around the month of July.

Geelong General Manager of Football, Simon Lloyd said the signings demonstrate the strong balance between young talent and experience on the Cats’ list.

“We are thrilled that all five of these players have re-committed to our football program for next season and beyond,” Lloyd said.

“Players like Tom Atkins and Zach Guthrie are key pillars of our medium to long term future, and as we saw this year, both players demonstrated a drive and a determination to keep improving, which has been a feature of both of their careers since they arrived at the Club. Both Tom and Zach also contribute significantly off-field to the fabric of Geelong with the quality of their leadership and character.

“Zach (Tuohy) and Isaac, among a long list of players at our Club, are key reasons why we have been able to achieve what we have this year. Both are experienced big-game players on the field and they drive standards across the Club off of it, but equally, they are exceptional people who we are very proud to call Geelong players.

“Hawk has achieved so much in his career over such a long period of time, and it is a tribute to his hard work and dedication that he continues to get better each and every year he plays the game.

“More importantly, Tom’s care and selfless nature for his teammates makes us a stronger Club. It’s incredible to think that after 327 games and 732 goals, Tom continues to impact and influence games, and we are proud to have him continue to wear the hoops into next season.”