FORMER Derry U20 star Anton Tohill is set to make his Australian Football League debut for Collingwood tomorrow night.
The Swatragh native joined the Melbourne club in 2018 on a two-year rookie deal and was given a further 12-month contract last December.
Tohill, 21, son of four-time Allstar Anthony Tohill, will line out against Port Adelaide after impressing interim Collingwood coach Robert Harvey during number of appearances for the reserves.
"He's worked so hard on his game," said Harvey.
“He’s a very smart individual. He’s a medical student in waiting when he gets back to Ireland. The respect he’s earned from us internally has been enormous. We’re rapt for him.
“It was a great moment to see his reaction to that,” Harvey said of a video showing the coach informing Tohill and his team-mate Jack Ginnivan that they would be making their debuts.
“And the players’ heartfelt feeling for him, because they know how hard he’s worked for this and how much he’s sacrificed to be here with us.”
Harvey played against Tohill senior when the Australian International Rules team made their trip to Ireland in 1998 and he expressed his admiration for Anthony, who had his own stint at Aussie Rules in the early ’90s before returning to win an All-Ireland with Derry.
"I was lucky enough to play against his [Anton’s] father ... he was captain of the Irish [International Rules] team in 1998,” he added.
“I just know he was fast. It was at Croke Park. He was running away from us pretty easily. I know he had speed. I was lucky enough to have a beer with him after. It [handing an AFL debut to his son] is one of those moments I suppose you get where the world is small."
Tohill and Ginnivan come into a Collingwood side facing a raft of injuries following their disappointing loss to Carlton last Sunday.
