DONEGAL SHARPSHOOTER YVONNE Bonner has capped an impressive maiden season with Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants in the AFLW with the club’s Goal of the Year accolade.
31-year-old Bonner has starred Down Under over the past few months alongside Mayo’s Cora Staunton — and fittingly follows in the 11-time All-Star’s footsteps to land the Giants’ award.
While Bonner’s outstanding Round Three effort against Carlton was acknowledged accordingly by her club, many are puzzled that it wasn’t among the nominations for AFLW Goal of the Year — which was won by Fremante’s Ashley Sharp at the league’s awards in Melbourne last night.
Even when the AFLW posted the forward’s goal on Twitter, they wrote: “that has to be a goal of the year contender!” while commentators were also in awe in-match.
THAT HAS TO BE A GOAL OF THE YEAR CONTENDER!
— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) February 16, 2019
What a goal from @gwsgiants forward Yvonne Bonner 😵#AFLWGIANTSBlues #AFLW #GenW pic.twitter.com/sXDVJNC3Rh
The Glenfin star rounded off a successful few months in her new code with the Giants as she finished 9th in the 2019 Gabrielle Trainor Medal count. Staunton finished a close joint second behind Rebecca Beeson.
“Cora played higher this year than she did last year and got more of the ball,” head coach Alan McConnell said, “and for her to finish equal-runner up when she is still learning the game shows how great an athlete she is.”
GWS finished third in the Conference B standings, collecting eight points after two wins and five losses in 2019. Last year, they just missed out on a Grand Final spot with 14 points — three wins, a draw and three losses.
Adelaide Crows won it out this year, with Clare’s Ailish Considine tasting Premiership success in her first season. Considine and Bonner were two successful products of the CrossCoders trial camp along with Tipperary’s Aisling McCarthy, who lined out for 2018 champions Western Bulldogs.
Staunton and fellow Mayo native Sarah Rowe (Collingwood) made up the five-strong Irish contingent who plied their trade in the third edition of the Australian league.
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