Cora Staunton’s incredible playing career continues and, as it does, the list of accolades she has collected keeps growing.
The latest award to be added to the list came from her latest season in the AFLW in Australia where, following another impressive campaign Down Under with the Great Western Sydney Giants, the Carnacon legend has been named in the 2021 AFLW Team of the Year. The eleven-times LGFA All-Star was named in the team among the forwards, having kicked ten goals for her club this season.
Cora’s achievement is all the more noteworthy seeing as she battled back from a triple leg break suffered in 2019. Back in flying form once again in this campaign, the 39 year-old has already indicated that she plans to play on once again next season. What an incredible player she is.
Reports on Cora’s achievement are available here: The 42, RTÉ, Irish Times, Irish Mirror, Irish Independent.
The Great Western Sydney Giants didn’t make it through to the AFLW play-offs so Cora’s season Down Under is over. Not so Sarah Rowe’s, as Collingwood did make it through and they now take on the Brisbane Lions in next weekend’s preliminary finals. Best of luck to her in that.
Back on home soil, meanwhile, the LGFA today confirmed the format for this year’s National Football League. The action is set to get going on 23rd May and Mayo, now managed by Michael Moyles, are in a regionalised Division 1A along with Connacht rivals Galway, as well as Donegal and Westmeath. Three rounds of group fixtures will be followed by semi-finals on 13th June, with the divisional League deciders set for 27th June.
Finally, the death was announced earlier today of Leitrim footballing legend Packie McGarty. One of the finest footballers of his era, his inter-county career touched four decades, spanning a 22-year period from 1949 to 1971. A native of Mohill, he played for Leitrim in five Connacht finals in the Fifties and Sixties and also won Railway Cup honours with Connacht. He died today at the age of 87. May he rest in peace.
Packy was incredible, one of the best ever. Forwards depend on a good supply of ball and it is always harder to excel on a losing team. Like Kerins of Sligo he kept his county relevant throughout his very long career and he played on some great Connaght teams..May he rest in peace.
Cora Staunton is one of the legends of Gaelic football.
Is Cora Staunton the greatest Mayo footballer of all time? I’m inclined to think she is. She doesn’t get half the recognition she deserves. May Packy McGarty rest in peace you won’t hear much of the Leitrim’s and Sligo’s of this world on All Ireland final day but they keep plugging away and show pride in their jersies I think the so called weaker counties get a raw deal from the Gaa but that’s for another day.
Most forwards depend on a good supply of ball but Packy was capable of winning his own ball at midfield and then using it. In the late fifties Leitrim was one of the first counties to have a goalkeeper, Jackie Gallagher, taking the kickout. Normally a corner back with a legendary long kick off the ground, he was moved to goal so that the opposition would not have an extra man to double mark McGarty on the kickout. If the rules of today applied in those days McGarty and Leitrim would have won more than one Connacht final as Galway would have lost players for persistent fouling, their only answer to McGarty.