CORK MANAGER EPHIE Fitzgerald is not ruling out the return of 18-time All-Ireland senior champion Rena Buckley to his inter-county football side.
The veteran dual star opted to concentrate solely on the camogie set-up last year as she was named captain, and steered Paudie Murray’s charges to glory in Croke Park once again.
In accepting the O’Duffy Cup, Buckley collected a remarkable 18th All-Ireland medal — 11 football Celtic Crosses and seven camogie — and became the most decorated player in Gaelic games.
She surpassed fellow Cork dual star and close friend Briege Corkery to add one more to her 17 after she stepped away from both codes in 2017.
Buckley is yet to feature for the camogie side this year and has passed on her duties as captain to Aoife Murray.
As well as that potential return, Fitzgerald is hopeful that 2016 senior Players’ Player of the Year Bríd Stack will rejoin the football panel for their 2018 campaign.
11-time All-Ireland winner Stack is currently unavailable, with the Cork boss telling Ladies Gaelic Football that she and Buckley ‘haven’t made their minds up yet’ about returning to the footballers.
He added that the duo ‘hopefully might return later in the season’.
The Rebels opened their bid for six Lidl Ladies National League Division 1 titles in-a-row on a winning note yesterday, beating Kerry on a scoreline of 2-17 to 0-9 on the road.
A host of younger players chipped in throughout the season opener, with Araglen Desmonds Bui defender Beatrice Casey impressing on her league debut.
Next up for Cork — who are captained again this year by Mourneabbey’s Ciara O’Sullivan — is a home clash against Monaghan next Sunday in Mallow (throw-in 2pm).
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