Photo: Herald Sun
I know there’s been some talk about this for a while but when it was confirmed earlier on today that Cora Staunton is heading Down Under to try her hand at Aussie Rules it still came as a bit of a shock. After all, Cora has been a fixture on the county’s ladies football team for the past two decades and more, carving out a reputation as one of the country’s most prominent sportswomen in the process.
The women’s Australian Rules league (the AFLW) began this year and Cora is joining the Great Western Sydney Giants for their 2018 campaign. As she explained to RTÉ’s Darren Frehill (report here), though, the AFLW season is a short one and will be over in March. So, although this will mean that the Mayo ladies will have to do without Cora for next year’s League campaign, she’s not ruling herself out just yet of being involved in yet another championship campaign.
Best of luck to Cora on her Australian adventure, where I’m sure she’ll add further lustre to her already legendary footballing stature.
Fair play Best of luck to her
Big move at this stage of her career so fair play to her for having the guts to give it a go.
Best of luck to her .Hope it works out for her ..She owes nothing to her club or county . like all of you I’d love to her come back after their short season but wouldn’t begrudge her if a window of opportunity opened work wise for her in Aus and stayed for longer ..
Fair play and best of luck to her.
Fair play and best of luck to her. She owes nothing to either Carnacon or Mayo, rather the reverse. Hopefully she will be back for next year’s LGFA championship. Meanwhille Mayo will get a taste of life AC [after Cora] in next year’s league. If they approach it with the right attitude it could be the making of them. We hope so.
Cora Staunton, Cian Hanley, Pierce Hanley. Australian rules has taken alot from Mayo…..
Well done Cora I hope it goes well for you. All in Mayo are proud of you.
MayoMark ….any stand out performance’s tonight in your win over the Garry’s ??
Danny Kirby was man of the match I thought. Paddy D and Barry Moran also had good games.
Cathal Slattery did well for Garrymore, scored 2 nice points in the first half.
Cora Staunton and the P.Hanley cannot be compared. The former committed everything for Mayo. The latter didn’t. Staunton is a Mayo legend.
my ball, unfortunately I had to leave the game unexpectedly after ten minutes or so. At that stage it was 2-4 to 0-1 and we were flowing nicely. Dougie had scored 1-1 at that stage
All I got after that were reports, apparently a really good team performance that would be hard to pick a MOTM from.
Looking forward to Sunday though. Could and should be the best final in a few years I think!
Mayoaze… Many have committed everything they have (Sport’s wise) to Mayo Gaa… Those who made choices to go to Australia and play Aussie Rules professionally are and can be just as much ‘Legend’s’ as those that stayed at home… Prior to 2018 there was no opportunity for any female to play professionally in Australia, who knows what Cora or many other’s would have done, had the opportunity been there year’s ago?.. Aiden OShea is a ‘Legend’ but tried his hand at getting a contract in Australia year’s ago.. Didn’t work out.. But is definitely a star of Gaelic-football nowadays.. He was also Irelands best player in the last international rules competition.. Pearce Hanley and his brother Cian are no doubt Mayo’s loss, but they most definitely are sports star’s to be proud of, as a Mayo person…. I wish them both continued success, and I wish Cora every success in Australia… She definitely doesn’t owe Mayo anything, but she does owe it to herself to give it a try if that’s her ambition. No one can own another human being, and all are entitled to make their own decisions, because of course we may prefer them to stay in Mayo, as long as we consider them good enough… But all are still legends in my opinion .
Very disappointed with Midwest radio coverage of the game tonight the game was 15 minutes on when they went over to Michale park in the second half they covered about 10 minutes i often listen to Galway bay fm when the Galway games are on they do much better than that
Hanley would have been a Mayo legend. He chose a different path unfortunately for Mayo. If he returned next summer to help his fellow county men he could well turn out to be a Legend amongst legends. Unlikely I know but we can dream.
Cora has a few years left, she’s right to do what pleases her. She gave her all to Mayo and owes nobody there a thing.
Thought Ger McDonagh did really well last night. Early on someone tried to rattle him with a shoulder and ended up being the rattled 🙂
He has that old school born with it power. He was getting forward to be a launchpad given that Garrymore were playing a blanket.
Agreed Leantimes and well said. I’m sure there are many Irish immigrants in Oz that enjoy seeing the Hanley brothers play and now look forward to Cora participating out there.
JP I would still have reservations about Ger, a great club player but at next level up I am not so sure had it easy last night with Garrymore tactics, but had tough time on young and light Naughton v Knockmore. Very solid on more robust opponents but not sure on quicker slicker lads if he as it, but deserves a run to prove himself.
Bear in mind Ger was getting back from injury and young Nuaghton is bloody good as you well know 🙂
CAN anyone tell me why two roscommon men did the connacht football draw … it seemed unfair to me. thats my initial reaction to the draw. we play galway in q final.
Jimbo,.. Someone had to do it,… It was done with Marty Morrisey in close proximity… He has an honest face,. The two Roscommon repesentives are as entitled as anyone else to take part in the draw and I for one don’t suspect them of anything dishonest, The TV cameras were showing the action presumably live… Stephen Coen and Sean Armstrong were both there… It’s an equally tough draw for both Galway and Mayo…. Still I remember what ‘Steph Blatter’ (remember him, the once exaulted president of UEFA) said about freezing the balls, so as the picker knows what ball to pick and what ball to leave alone for the draws for football match’s, it looks fair on TV… But is in fact a fraud.. Although I am cynical about plenty of things in the GAA , I think the draw is fair enough .. But like anything else it could be manipulated in theory…. What didn’t look fair on TV was the reffing of the All Ireland football final, in fact it was diabolical and onesided.. As was the apathy of the ‘Sunday Game’ towards the controversial incidents in the match ,.. Just as much as is the appalling inequity in funding from the GAA benefitting Dublin to the detriment of the other competing counties,.. . And the amount of home (Croke Park) game’s Dublin have been given, particularly in this decade… If as I and many other’s suspect that the dice is in fact loaded, those loading it, would be delighted if our attention was miss directed in the direction of the draw!