Football

Anton Tohill signs contract with Collingwood

10/6/2018 Derrys  u20s team   Pic Seamus Loughran
10/6/2018 Derrys u20s team Pic Seamus Loughran 10/6/2018 Derrys u20s team Pic Seamus Loughran

Anton Tohill is following in his father Anthony’s footsteps by signing a two-year professional contract with Australian Rules side Collingwood.

Anthony played with the Melbourne Demons U19s and reserves in 1990 and ’91 and his son will head to the same city having linked up with the Magpies.

The player had caught the eye at a Draft Combine event at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium at the start of October, an event also attended by Saul man Pierce Laverty.

Tohill came 12th in the Nathan Buckley kicking test that day and is understood to have been signed as a category brookie.

"Footy is for me, I want to give it a good crack," Tohill had told AFL.com.au after the combine.

"I want to do the best I can and do whatever I can to play professional footy.” Collingwood have a strong link with Ulster players with Down’s Martin Clarke having a particularly successful career with the club. Caolan Mooney (Down) and Kevin Dyas (Armagh) also represented them.

The Swatragh clubman will travel to Australia in November to begin training for the 2019 season, which commences in March. Fellow Derry man Conor Glass has already made his mark with the Hawthorn club as despite still being on the rookie list, he has already made four AFL appearances.

Oakleaf youngsters Callum Brown and Oisin McWilliams have also been linked with moves to Australia.