Oisin Mullin’s Geelong teammates can’t yet pronounce his name, but Zach Tuohy believes the Mayo All Star is destined to become a crowd favourite for the Cats in years to come.
Mullin (23) is a shock selection to make his senior AFL debut for Geelong against the Greater Western Sydney Giants at the Cats GMHBA fortress on Saturday morning.
Cats veteran Tuohy, the standout Irish player in the AFL, will line-up alongside the two-time GAA Young Player of the Year and Kerry’s Mark O’Connor. Derry defender Callum Brown will return to the visitorS starting 18 to make it a fab four of Irish players on the park in the must-win showdown.
Mullin’s shock selection is all the more surprising given he has only played three reserve team fixtures this season, but his athleticism and consistency has impressed Cats coaches, who believe the Irish half-back, who averages over 12 disposals per game, can help the reigning premiers to retain their crown in September.
“Oisin has gotten a few nicknames from his teammates – including 'Yosh', 'Ocean' and 'Frank,' but the main thing is that he’s ready to make his AFL debut against GWS,” Tuohy (33) explained.
“He’s a well-established, top, top player back in Ireland. This is not just a young prospect that was brought out. This is a guy who was well regarded as one of the best footballers in Ireland when he left.”
And Tuohy added: “Professionalism – all those kinds of key things – he had in abundance and his physical attributes are remarkable, despite his diminutive nature, as you’ve kindly put it. He’s good to go physically. He’s a player.”
AFL legend turned TV pundit Dermott Brereton joked “we could have one of the biggest balls-ups of all-time” if the Irish quartet are all in close proximity to each other during the game.
Tuohy, who is just five games away from breaking the legendary Jimmy Stynes’ long-standing record for the highest number of AFL games (264) for an Irishman, cheekily quipped: “Good luck to all the commentators to predict what we’re going to do. It’s either going to be a work of art or be a Hindenburg, so we’re just going to have to wait and see.”
