Zac Tuohy flanked by his parents Noel and Marie

Zach Tuohy appreciates that his presence at Visy Park is a bit like good comedy - it’s all in the timing.

“I’ve come along at a good time, with the new facilities, which makes it easier when you’re away from home,” says the boy from Port Laois.  “It’s uplifting to come here to train, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of it so far.”

As Carlton’s international rookie, Zach is embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, in forsaking his beloved Gaelic football for a thing called Australian Rules - all of it under the watchful eye of the many and varied coaches who work under the one roof.

“When I first got to the club the coaches were a bit worried about my skills because of the [Gaelic] background I came from,” he admits in his soft brogue. They were also a bit concerned with my strength generally, so they’re areas I’ve been working on and am still working on now . . . and I feel a bit more confident for doing so.”

A welcome visit from parents Noel and Marie Tuohy earlier this month also assisted Zach’s cause, even given that all parties are in regular contact via Skype. The Tuohy elders saw Zach ply his craft off a half-back flank for the Bullants, and even took in a couple of Carlton games - the Collingwood encounter at the MCG and more recently, the Hawthorn fixture.

“I know they enjoyed Australia and I certainly enjoyed having them out,” Zach said. “The visit certainly settled them down, particularly my mother, who was a bit apprehensive at first in me coming over.

“But now that she’s seen that I’ve made a few friends and I’m not sitting around the club on my own and am happy with the family I’m with, she was certainly happy going home.”

The presence of Setanta O’hAilpin has also served as an obvious calming influence on the 20 year-old who proudly wears Robert Walls’ old No.42 guernsey.

“He knows exactly what I’m going through, and it would have been harder for him because he came from a hurling background, which is further from football again, so he would have struggled a bit more than I at that time.”

As Zach is into the first of his two-year arrangement with the club, he is clear in his objectives for 2010 and beyond.

“I want to play as much consistent footy in the [Bullants] ones as I can for a proportion of the year, and in my second year I’d like to think I’d be one of the top rookies they [Carlton] would consider elevating.” He said.

“If that’s not the case I’d feel pretty flat about it.”