Irish AFL star Zach Tuohy has unveiled explosive revelations about his tumultuous relationship with former Carlton coach Brendon Bolton in his new autobiography, The Irish Experiment.
Among the gripping anecdotes, a bizarre pre-season incident dubbed "biscuit-gate" has sparked significant discussion.
At 34, Tuohy, who is hailed as one of the finest international players in AFL history, reflects on his time at Carlton during Bolton's tenure, which began in 2016 and ended with Tuohy's departure after 120 games.
In his book, Tuohy reveals his initial determination to foster a good relationship with Bolton, only to be met with intense and unyielding coaching methods.
“I found Bolts very intense. It was difficult, in fact almost impossible, to have a casual chat with him about anything unrelated to football,” Tuohy explained.
“He just couldn't turn off for a second.”
The tensions began to surface during a pre-season flight to Launceston for a match against Bolton's former team, Hawthorn.
As the players settled into the hotel for a team meeting, Bolton shocked everyone by asking, “I'd like any player who ate one of the biscuits offered to them on the plane to stand up.”
Tuohy recalled, “At this point I'm thinking, is this a joke? Surely it's a joke. But his tone was serious.”
The absurdity of the moment led Tuohy to conclude, “F**k me, it's a biscuit, I thought… this sh*t was crazy.”
As the season progressed, Tuohy found himself increasingly at odds with Bolton's coaching style, describing his 2016 experience as "bleak."
He recalls a particularly intense meeting after a disheartening 54-point loss to the Gold Coast Suns, where Bolton's focus on standout player Sam Docherty felt more like an attack than constructive criticism.
“I've copped sprays from coaches over the journey… but this was the only time in my 15-year career that I've sat in a meeting and thought, ‘This bloke just has it in for me,'” Tuohy noted.
The Irishman recounts a moment where he was singled out for not making a risky handball to Docherty, despite being under immediate pressure.
“As we watched my alleged misdemeanour in super-slow motion… it all fell on deaf ears,” he lamented.
The constant criticism wore on him, leading him to dread work during Bolton's coaching stint: “I can confirm that I've never, ever dreaded going to work as much as I did when Brendon Bolton was in charge of the club.”
Ultimately, the combative environment prompted Tuohy to leave Carlton after the 2016 season, finding a new home at Geelong, where he would go on to win a Premiership in 2022, becoming just the second Irishman to achieve that feat.
“I didn't want to leave the Blues,” he reflects, “but how could Bolts and I move forward if this was how it was going to be?”
Now retired and focused on business ventures back in Ireland, including opening a coffee shop chain called ‘The Wandering Elk,' Tuohy's revelations offer a rare glimpse into the pressures and challenges faced by players under intense coaching regimes.