GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY [GWS] Giants have announced the re-signing of ladies football legends Cora Staunton and Bríd Stack for the 2021/22 Australian Football League Women’s [AFLW] season.
Mayo great Staunton, who will turn 40 in December, has been handed a one-year deal and returns to the Giants for a fifth consecutive season.
The four-time All-Ireland native has been a goal-kicking machine for the Syndey outfit since she crossed codes in 2018, while her experience has been key. She kicked 10 goals last season, averaged 10.3 disposals, and was included in the 2021 AFLW Team of the Year after another impressive campaign.
Consistently a standout performer since her move Down Under, the Carnacon native capped off her debut season by picking up the Giants’ Goal of the Year award. She then suffered a career-threatening triple-leg-break injury in 2019 but battled back to make a full recovery, and has been immense ever since.
Forever grateful for the opportunity to play with such a wonderful club @GWSGIANTS. This season brought the most challenges to this group but throughout it all they showed immense courage, resilience, friendship and support #34🧡 pic.twitter.com/jisfUCdwhx
— Cora Staunton (@duckie15) June 6, 2021
Former Cork star Stack, 34, will return to Australia eyeing her AFLW debut after an injury-hit first year at the club. The Rockchapel ace sustained a serious neck injury in pre-season, and was subsequently ruled out.
Writing for The Irish Examiner as she detailed her emotional road to recovery, Stack noted that she was “extremely lucky not to be paraplegic after the injury”.
Having made a full recovery and returned to home soil, the 11-time All-Ireland winner and 2016 Footballer of the Year has been given a second opportunity, and offered a one-year deal. The Examiner is reporting that she is mulling over the offer.
Donegal’s Yvonne Bonner, meanwhile, will remain on the inactive list for the 2021/22 season, set to give birth to her first child in the coming months.
“With the upcoming season starting early, Bonner will now set her sights on the 2022/23 season to continue her AFLW career,” a statement reads.
The Glenfin forward withdrew ahead of the 2021 season, as first reported by The42, having enjoyed a positive return to the Donegal colours in last autumn’s championship.
“Bonner, the Gaelic football cross-coder, will miss the 2021 season after her husband Paul was not granted exemption to enter the country given the tightened border restrictions in place due the Covid-19 situation,” an article from the club in December read.
A product of the CrossCoders programme, Bonner played 11 AFLW games across 2019 and 2020 — though an ankle injury disrupted the latter campaign — kicking seven goals.
The Giants’ list news, in full, can be found here, and it comes as Western Bulldogs today confirmed that Donegal’s Katy Herron will not be confirming, having been placed on the inactive list last season.
Collingwood’s Irish duo Sarah Rowe and Aishling Sheridan, and North Melbourne’s Mayo ace Aileen Gilroy’s respective returns Down Under were confirmed this morning.
Tipperary’s Premiership champion Orla O’Dwyer, Melbourne’s Dublin duo Sinéad Goldrick and Lauren Magee, and Adelaide Crows’ Ailish Considine have all had their respective returns for the 2021/22 season confirmed in recent days, with further announcements expected (14 Irish players were involved in the 2021 season).
The new season is slated to begin in early December, with the NAB AFLW Draft to be held on 27 July.
