Eimear Ryan: Cora Staunton retires with legacy as a great of AFLW
LEGEND: Cora Staunton of the Giants celebrates after kicking a goal during the round one AFLW match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Greater Western Sydney Giants at the Great Barrier Reef Arena on January 09, 2022 in Mackay, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Nearly six years ago, I got the chance to contribute to a series of nonfiction sports books for kids called Great Irish Sports Stars.
The series was being published by O’Brien Press and they asked me to write about a female Gaelic games star. In spite of my camogie bias, my mind kept returning to footballer Cora Staunton as a subject: a player who had debuted at senior level for Mayo at 13; who had won six All-Irelands with Carnacon and four with Mayo; who had eleven All-Stars, and first-name recognition even among casual GAA fans. When news broke in December 2017 that she was moving to Australia to play in the newly established AFLW, I made up my mind. Narratively speaking, it was hard to think of a better ending for the book than that.
