CORA STAUNTON SAYS that her book ‘Game Changer’ is coming into the final stages of completion before its publication in October.

It’s a fitting title considering that it is the first autobiography to be released by a female Gaelic games player and it’s also appropriate that Staunton should be the one to reach that feat as she is one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport.

The four-time All-Ireland winner says the overall experience was ‘enjoyable’ and she will be glad to see the final edit come to fruition before it hits the shelves.

But recounting her life story has also presented some challenging moments along the way.

“I’ve been pretty busy yeah,” the record-equaling 11-time All-Star said at a Sky Sports event last week.

The book is out on 18 October. The final touches are being put on that, it’s practically finished which is good because it’s probably been an 18-month process at this stage and that’s been quite intense remembering back over the last 20-25 years and probably times in your life that were probably difficult that you maybe haven’t dealt with.

“That has been hard but it was a very enjoyable process. I suppose when I see the final copy and it’s out in print, it’ll be something to be very proud of. I’m looking forward to that over the next few months and it’s practically finished now.”

It was never her ambition to write a book and when a few people approached to inquire if she would be interested in doing such a project, her initial answer was a resounding no.

But after mulling over their proposals, she found herself gradually leaning towards the idea.

“I was like, ‘Absolutely no way’ and then I thought long and hard about it. I suppose with female sports, there’s not many female sports books and there’s obviously no female GAA player [to have written one] and I suppose the main reason that I wrote it was to try and be a role model for young kids growing up that they can see my story.

There’s a lot of stuff in the book that they’ll see [that] it hasn’t been an easy road and stuff like that. I think it’s important for young girls growing up that there’s opportunities for them to read as many female sports books as there is male.”

The Carnacon player is currently not involved with the Mayo ladies team after leaving the panel last week, along with 11 other players and two team selectors.

She declined to comment on the situation ahead of Mayo’s All-Ireland championship clash with Cavan which they won, but she did admit at the event that they ‘didn’t take the decision lightly.’

Manager Peter Leahy has since said that ‘it is incorrect to state that they have all left for the same apparent reasons’ and indicated that some of the departed players told the team’s Liaison Officer that they have left for ‘purely personal reasons.’

Staunton initially returned to the Mayo squad after returning home from an impressive debut season with Aussie Rules side Greater Western Syndey (GWS) Giants, and she will be returning to the club Down Under for a second season after signing a new deal in June.

She’s already getting ready for the resumption of her AFL career with the help of fellow Mayo native Cian Hanley, who has returned to Ireland from his own adventure in Australia after the Brisbane Lions declined to offer him a new contract for 2018.

“Yeah I’m trying to do a bit of skills work myself,” she continues. “We’ll be on gym programmes and I’m trying to do a skill work myself the odd evening that I can.

“I’ve had the help of Cian Hanley that’s come back from Oz and was in with the Mayo team this year so he’s been helping me with kicking mainly because that’s probably the biggest change between the oval and the round ball.”

Going over to Sydney earlier this year, Staunton believed that she would make a rather seamless transition into the sport given the various similarities between Gaelic football and Aussie Rules.

But she soon discovered several technical differences that she had to adapt to, and she will continue to work on that before she heads back for another shot at the oval ball game.

“I definitely thought it’d be easier, I thought the games would be more similar. While all the skill and that was difficult to pick up the hardest thing I found to pick up was around the education of the game.

“The rules are one part of it but they play a very structured game and they play within a gameplan. I suppose the pitch is divided into nine different areas and they obviously have names for them and there’s obviously corridors and there’s the boundaries either side and stoppages are a big thing over there.

“We used to have an education evening once a week over there and that helped but I was coming from a whole new background and not knowing any of these terms and all that so even now when I’m at home I follow the men’s game for the season and I’m a big follower of the [Greater Western Syndey] Giants.”

The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!