Irish in AFLW: McCarthy shines, Cora reaches 50, but injury for Kearns 

Evergreen Cora Staunton's three goals put her second on the all-time AFLW scoring list

CORA THE SCORER: Cora Staunton (left) and Brodee Mowbray of the Giants celebrate during the 2022 S7 AFLW Round 01 match between the Western Bulldogs and the GWS Giants at Ikon Park on August 28, 2022 in Melbourne,  (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

It was a mixed weekend for the Irish in the AFLW. Tipperary's Aisling McCarthy shone on her debut for the West Coast Eagles, Cora Staunton scored three goals in defeat to reach 50 in the competition, but Rachel Kearns suffered a serious AC joint injury after a heavy tackle playing for Geelong Cats.

The evergreen Staunton's three goals put her second on the all-time AFLW scoring list, but couldn't prevent the GWS Giants from slumping to a 41-34 defeat by the Western Bulldogs.