GEELONG veteran Zach Tuohy is confident clubs can still lure elite Irish talent to Australia, despite Collingwood defender Mark Keane and Cats recruit Oisin Mullin becoming the latest players to tear up contracts this month.

Mullin was set to join Tuohy at GMHBA Stadium in 2022 after signing a two-year deal as a category B rookie in November, before the GAA'S young player of the year backflipped on the decision last week, deciding to remain with Gaelic side Mayo.

That surprise decision was celebrated in Ireland and arrived less than a week after Keane announced he wasn't coming back to Melbourne after battling homesickness throughout his three seasons at the Magpies.

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Anton Tohill also turned his back on a contract extension at the Magpies last August to pursue a medical degree in Dublin, following the highly publicised exit of former Essendon star Conor McKenna at the end of 2020.

Tuohy arrived in Australia in 2009 and has established himself as one of the finest Irish imports the game has ever seen, playing 226 games across 11 seasons. But the man from Portlaoise in the South Midlands, believes the elevation of GAA in recent years has made it more challenging for AFL clubs to not only convince his compatriots to come out, but to stay.

"We will (see more numbers come out) eventually because I don't think the clubs here will give up on going to Ireland; I think it's too fruitful a marketplace for them," Tuohy told AFL.com.au at GMHBA Stadium on Monday.

"I'm not sure people realise this, but there have been over 70 Irish players come out. It's not like you're hitting gold every two or three picks. There will be more that come out and there will be more successful players than me come out, I'm sure.

"But they are now giving up more than I did when I moved out here 10 years ago, so you might get fewer coming out which lessens your odds again. Even if you get someone as good as Oisin out or whoever, there is still no guarantee that they will transition. I'm confident there will be more successful players, it's just going to be more of a challenge.

"Back in Ireland, GAA is getting bigger and bigger. It is still not paid, but it is essentially professional in terms of its coverage and the reputation these guys are getting. If you're from a big, strong county like Oisin was, I totally understand the appeal of staying back home.

"They are giving up a lot to come out here and start from the bottom when they are already well-established players back home. They are probably getting more pressure to stay; there is more long-term prospects if they stay; they aren't directly getting paid but there are obvious perks and benefits that come with that.

"And then it is still pretty hard to make it out here. If you're tossing up between the potential of winning All-Irelands back home, getting a good job and a big reputation and coming out here and being player No.46 and maybe not even getting a game, it's a pretty tough decision. You've got to be pretty sure it's what you want to do. I just think the GAA has grown so quick it's just more appealing for players to want to stay."

There were 18 Irishmen on AFL lists before the coronavirus pandemic and now only 11 players are set to start the 2022 season, with Fremantle recruit Ultan Kelm electing to remain in Ireland for this year while he recovers from a hip injury.

While McKenna's exit was a major blow for the Irish experiment given his emergence as a genuine star, the pandemic has seen a reduction in resources at every club, resulting in fewer development coaches, player development managers and high-performance staff, while two interrupted VFL seasons have seen makeshift matches stifle the development of players in need of games.

Tuohy remains hopeful Mullin will change his mind in the future and eventually wind up at the Cattery, but he isn't holding his breath given how highly regarded the 21-year-old is in the Emerald Isle.

"I messaged him a few times, we spoke over the Christmas period. Obviously I'm open to chatting to him at any time, I told him that," he said. "He's a little bit older at 21, so hopefully we do see him. It would have to happen in the next year or two if we are going to see him. He is a freak, so he's going to do pretty well no matter where he is. It sounds like he is pretty settled now, unfortunately."

While Mullin isn't parking his car at Kardinia Park right now, Mark O'Connor is. And the 25-year-old is turning heads inside the club. After missing six games in the middle of last season with a hamstring strain, O'Connor suffered a recurrence in Geelong's qualifying final loss to Port Adelaide and missed the rest of the finals series. But the Kerry product is back to full fitness and pushing endurance beast Mark Blicavs in all the running this summer.

"He is flying," Tuohy said. "I know it's bordering on a cliché to highlight players, but he is just tearing it up. He is naturally super fit and has always been one of the best runners we've had at the club, but that's not really a surprise. In a lot of the testing we've done he's stood out so he is physically looking good. How successful his career will be will be up to him. As long as his body keeps fit, he will play more games than me."

Tuohy may have turned 32 just before Christmas and is out of contract at the end of this season, but the dashing defender – who has also spent plenty of time on a wing in the past two years – is confident 2022 won't be his final season in the AFL. And if that happens, he will be within striking distance of the late Jim Stynes' games record of 264.

"It's two full seasons, which is a long way to go from here. The 250 would be a nice milestone. Whatever milestone you've just passed, the next one always looks juicy. If I got past Stynes in games that would be the only marker in which I've bested him. It's too far away, maybe if I get within 10 or 15 games. I would almost feel guilty, it's like shooting Bambi," he said.

"The reality is you're on one-year contracts from here and that's fine by me. I think I've got a few years left in me. I've got huge confidence from how this pre-season has panned out. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be peaking in your 30s with all the help you're getting. You continue to get more and more knowledge on how you should be playing and provided that you're physically able, there is no reason why you shouldn't be at your best.

"I anticipate myself having my best year this year. If that's the case, I can't see why I won't kick on. But it won't just be my decision obviously. If it's not to be that's fine, I'm pretty content and ready for the next chapter. I think I've got at least a couple more years left."

Tuohy will return to Ireland when he finally hangs up his boots and hopes to play the final season of his athletic career for his home side Portlaoise. But that can wait. He is the beacon of hope for AFL clubs trying to lure gun Gaelic footballers to a foreign sport in a foreign land. And he could finish his time in Australia with more games than any other Irishman in AFL history.