Cats recruit Zach Tuohy can't wait to line up with his new teammates in the JLT Community Series.
The dashing defender, who previously played 120 games for Carlton, knows only too well how much talent lurks in his new club's squad.
“I can’t say I much enjoyed playing on ‘Mots’ (Steven Motlop) and ‘Danger’ (Patrick Dangerfield) when he was forward," Tuohy told News Limited.
“I’m happy I’m not going to do that in games anymore."
The 27-year-old has quickly settled into his new footballing home at the Cattery.
“It’s been a nice change," he said.
“Once you get over the initial shock of talking to someone you’ve only ever sledged you get used to it pretty quick.
“It’s odd training with them because you’ve only ever seen them as opposition."
Tuohy has also settled nicely into the Geelong lifestyle.
“The lifestyle here is a bit quieter than Melbourne and it’s great for me to have that extra time with my son, Flynn,” he said.
“I love Melbourne, it’s an awesome city, but for where I’m at it’s nice to take that step back and leave 10 minutes before you have to be somewhere instead of allowing 45.
“This is more my pace now.”
Tuohy admits that he had expected to be a one-club player in the AFL, a belief that stems from how these things play out back home in Ireland.
“For Irish guys it’s taken for granted that growing up in Ireland you play for where you’re from and that’s pretty much it,” he said.
“It’s incredibly rare for anybody to ever change and play for someone else. I don’t think it’s really in the nature of Irish guys to do that. It doesn’t feel right.
“Myself and Pearce (Hanley) switched clubs this year, but there wouldn’t be too many others.
“For the vast majority of my career I could never picture myself being anywhere else.
“I struggled a bit with the idea of jumping ship, but again, I made the decision purely for what was best for me and the family in the long term and wherever I was going to be happiest.
“Carlton were great to me and for me, but the time was right.
"When you sit back and look at it logically, it was kind of a no-brainer in the end.”
The Cats open their pre-season campaign against Hawthorn in Launceston on Friday, February 17.
