Anton Tohill

In December 2017, Tohill participated in a European AFL Combine in Dublin{{cite news|url=https://www.irishmirror.ie/sport/gaa/three-gaa-stars-earn-afl-11682365|title=Three GAA stars earn AFL shot but exodus of Irish talent is unlikely, says talent manager|first=Cathal|last=Austin|newspaper=Irish Mirror|date=12 December 2017}} and the following month flew to an AFL Academy camp in Florida.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/marty-clarke-aussie-rules-afl-3915469-Mar2018/|title=Down's Clarke recruited by AFL as part of plans to prioritise Ireland in search of players for Aussie Rules|newspaper=The42|first=Fintan|last=O'Toole|date=21 March 2018}} Later in the year he joined Collingwood as a Category B rookie after finishing 12th in kicking at the AFL Draft Combine,{{cite web|url=https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/58997/pies-lock-in-irish-youngsters|title=Pies lock in Irish youngsters|publisher=Telstra|work=Collingwood|date=16 October 2018}} signing a two-year contract.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/derry-legend-anthony-tohills-teenage-son-anton-has-signed-a-two-year-deal-with-afl-side-collingwood-37420792.html|title=Derry legend Anthony Tohill's teenage son Anton has signed a two-year deal with AFL side Collingwood|newspaper=Irish Independent|date=15 October 2018}} In the 2019 AFL season, he suffered a concussion, a quad injury, and a torn hip rotator, which limited his playing time. He managed to play 12 games in the Victorian Football League (VFL), deployed as a key forward and playing in the ruck.{{cite web|url=https://www.aflplayers.com.au/news-feed/stories/anton-not-making-a-mountain-out-of-a-tohill|title=Anton not making a mountain out of a Tohill|first=Ben|last=Guthrie|publisher=AFL Players Association|date=2 April 2020}} His preparation for the 2020 AFL season was limited due to getting injured after falling on a treadmill and the season was reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, with the 2020 VFL season being cancelled. In December 2020, at the end of his initial contract, he signed a one-year extension.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/anton-tohill-collingwood-new-deal-5292103-Dec2020/|title=Son of Derry legend Anthony Tohill signs new AFL contract with Collingwood|newspaper=The42|date=8 December 2020}} Tohill impressed in the 2021 VFL season, playing as a defender.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40341947.html|title=Anton Tohill, son of Derry GAA great Anthony, selected for Aussie Rules debut|first=Patrick|last=Mulcahy|newspaper=Irish Examiner|date=21 July 2021}} He made his debut at Marvel Stadium against Port Adelaide in the club's round 19 match of the 2021 AFL season,{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2021/07/22/news/anton-tohill-set-to-make-his-afl-debut-for-collingwood-2395116/|title=Anton Tohill set to make his AFL debut for Collingwood|first=Pádraig|last=Ó Meiscill|newspaper=The Irish News|date=22 July 2021}} which Collingwood lost by 28 points.{{cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/matches/3131#match-report|title=Power forwards fire on Boak's big night|first=Nathan|last=Schmook|publisher=Telstra|work=Australian Football League|date=23 July 2021}} In August 2021, Tohill retired from Australian rules football after turning down a one-year contract extension and returned to Northern Ireland to study medicine at Queen's University Belfast.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/derry-afl-collingwood-anton-tohill-5532303-Aug2021/|title=Derry native departs AFL club Collingwood and returns home to study medicine|newspaper=The42|first=Maurice|last=Brosnan|date=26 August 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-40367636.html|title=Anton Tohill leaving Aussie Rules to pursue studies, Collingwood confirm|first=Patrick|last=Mulcahy|newspaper=Irish Examiner|date=27 August 2021}}

Tohill made his senior inter-county debut for Derry on 7 January 2022 as a late substitute for Shea Downey in Derry's opening game of the 2022 Dr McKenna Cup against Monaghan.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/gaelic-games/59915914|title=Dr McKenna Cup: Donegal edge past youthful Down as Derry draw with Monaghan|publisher=BBC Sport|date=7 January 2022|quote=Anton Tohill, son of Derry legend Anthony Tohill, was among those handed debuts by Rory Gallagher as he was introduced late on for Shea Downey, whose father Seamus was a team-mate of the Swatragh great on the Oak Leaf county's 1993 All-Ireland winning side.}} He made another substitute appearance against Fermanagh in Derry's next game in the competition.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/gaelic-football-round-up-derry-see-off-fermanagh-to-set-up-mckenna-cup-semi-final-with-donegal-41243435.html|title=Gaelic Football round-up: Derry see off Fermanagh to set up McKenna Cup semi-final with Donegal|publisher=Independent.ie|date=15 January 2022}} Derry qualified for the semi-final, losing to Donegal, though Tohill scored a point in that game.{{cite news|url=https://www.the42.ie/dr-mckenna-cup-monaghan-donegal-2-5658310-Jan2022/|title=Monaghan defeat Armagh on penalties and Donegal see off Derry in semi-final clashes|publisher=The42.ie|date=18 January 2022|quote=Derry hit the final three points of the game through Lachlan Murray (2) and Anton Tohill but Donegal held on for success.}}

Tohill was still involved when Derry won the 2022 Ulster Senior Football Championship later that year.{{cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/derry/rory-gallagher-has-been-the-key-to-transformation-of-derry-as-they-close-in-on-first-all-ireland-title-since-1993-41768829.html|title=Rory Gallagher has been the key to transformation of Derry as they close in on first All-Ireland title since 1993|newspaper=Belfast Telegraph|first=Declan|last=Bogue|date=20 June 2022|quote=Anton Tohill followed in the footsteps of his father by going over to Australia for a spell, and while he got very limited game time in his three seasons with Collingwood, he lived the life of an athlete for three years.}}

Tohill's athleticism was credited with helping his club Swatragh defeat Bellaghy in the last 16 of the 2022 Derry Senior Football Championship in September that year.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/paywall/tsb/irishnews/sport/gaafootball/2022/09/20/news/_i_ve_been_learning_to_play_the_game_again_anton_tohill_relishing_second_coming_with_swatragh_and_derry-2833243/content.html|title='I've been learning to play the game again': Anton Tohill relishing second coming with Swatragh and Derry|work=The Irish News|first=Neil|last=Loughran|date=20 September 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://derrygaa.ie/draws-for-2022-football-championship-knockouts/|title=Draws for 2022 football championship knockouts|publisher=Derry GAA|date=13 September 2022}} Swatragh qualified for a quarter-final against Slaughneil, scheduled for 1 October.{{cite web|url=https://derrygaa.ie/fixtures/?countyBoardID=7&fixturesOnly=Y&daysAfter=14|title=Slaughtneil --- v --- Swatragh|date=1 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923033417/https://derrygaa.ie/fixtures/?countyBoardID=7&fixturesOnly=Y&daysAfter=14|archive-date=23 September 2022}} Slaughtneil won and advanced to the semi-final, knocking out Swatragh.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishnews.com/paywall/tsb/irishnews/sport/2022/10/03/news/polished_performance_sees_slaughtneil_into_derry_sfc_semi-final-2847044/content.html|title=Polished performance sees Slaughtneil into Derry SFC semi-final|work=The Irish News|first=Michael|last=McMullan|date=3 October 2022}}

Tohill was born in Swatragh in Northern Ireland. His father, Anthony, played Gaelic football and international rules football, as well as playing Australian rules football with Melbourne. One of the players Anthony had played against was Collingwood's interim coach Robert Harvey.{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/pies-to-debut-two-in-clash-with-port-adelaide-20210721-p58br0.html|title=Pies to debut two in clash with Port Adelaide|first=Anthony|last=Colangelo|newspaper=The Age|date=21 July 2021|quote=Harvey has actually played international rules against Tohill's father, Anthony, who was captain of Ireland in the '90s.}}

: Statistics are correct to the end of the 2021 season{{cite web|title=Anton Tohill statistics|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/A/Anton_Tohill.html|publisher=AFL Tables|access-date=13 September 2022}}

{{AFL player statistics legend}}

{{AFL player statistics start}}

|- style="background-color: #eaeaea"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2019

| {{AFL Col}} || 43 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

|-

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2020{{efn|The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.}}

| {{AFL Col}} || 43 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —

|- style="background-color: #eaeaea"

! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2021

| {{AFL Col}} || 43 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 4 || 5 || 9 || 3 || 0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.0 || 5.0 || 9.0 || 3.0 || 0.0

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career

! 1

! 0

! 0

! 4

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! 9

! 3

! 0

! 0.0

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! 9.0

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! 0.0

|}

Notes

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Category:1999 births

Category:Living people

Category:Collingwood Football Club players

Category:Derry inter-county Gaelic footballers

Category:Gaelic footballers who switched code

Category:Irish emigrants to Australia

Category:Irish players of Australian rules football

Category:Swatragh Gaelic footballers

Category:VFL/AFL players born outside Australia