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Starting: Donegal and GWS Giants star Bonner. GWS Giants Twitter.

Three Irish stars set for dream starts as new AFLW season kicks off this weekend

Donegal star forward Yvonne Bonner and Mayo duo Sarah Rowe and Cora Staunton all start.

THERE’LL BE A nice flavour of Irishness in the opening round of Australian Football League Women’s (AFLW) fixtures this weekend. 

With five ladies football stars on the books in Australia for the upcoming third edition of the league, three have secured starting positions for their respective clashes as 2019 gets up and running.

After impressing last season, 11-time All-Star Cora Staunton will step up once again for Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants, starting in the back pocket as they go head-to-head with Brisbane in Round One. 

Donegal attacking ace Yvonne Bonner, a successful product of September’s CrossCoders programme, is also named to start in the Giants’ side after well and truly catching the eye in a pre-season win over Sunday’s opposition, the Lions.

“Bonner did amazingly,” team-mate Courtney Gum remarked afterwards, adding that her pace, contested marking and set shot goal were highlights of her AFLW debut.

Mayo star Sarah Rowe will also hope to continue her promising pre-season form as she starts in the Collingwood full-forward line against AFLW debutantes Geelong.

23-year-old Rowe scored two goals and showed that she can transfer her Gaelic football skills to Aussie Rules in their pre-season loss to the Western Bulldogs. 

sarah rowe Sarah Rowe also starts for Collingwood. Collingwood FC. Collingwood FC.

“She’s got plenty of tricks,” head coach Wayne Siekman said. “She’s got a great tank, she moves up the ground and gets back, and she got on the end of a couple. And she’s going to get better every game she plays.”

Clare native Ailish Considine and Aisling McCarthy’s — two more CrossCoders products — sides, Adelaide Crows and the Western Bulldogs, face off at Norwood Oval on Saturday evening. 

Considine, a sister of Irish rugby international Eimear, is named on the interchange bench while McCarthy is also in the Bulldogs’ mix.

Games with Irish involvement

Saturday, 2 February

Geelong v Collingwood at GMHBA Stadium; 6.45pm AEDT

Adelaide v Western Bulldogs at Norwood Oval; 8.10pm ACDT

Sunday, 3 February 

Brisbane v Greater Western Sydney at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex; 4.05pm AEST 

You can see all the teams and fixture details here

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Aug 16th 2015, 10:48 AM

    Imagine the howls of outrage and the screams of “Waaayyyycism!” on the journal if the situation was reversed!

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    Mute Güneşin Tadını Çıkar
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    Aug 16th 2015, 11:05 AM

    But this is racism but not in the right way so no one will talk about it, no one likes to talk about racism against white people.

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    Mute VinHeffer89
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    Aug 16th 2015, 11:33 AM

    An everyday example of the double standards that exist with race relations.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:07 PM

    I couldn’t possibly say whether Mike Tyson is racist – he may be, he may not be – but what I can say is that if this story was reversed, the Journal’s house woollies (regular readers know who they are) would have been all over this story like a rash. As it is they’re conspicuous in their absence.

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    Mute Ron North
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:46 PM

    Well including this thread there are currently 5 of the 14 comments on this page alluding to the fact that his remark was racist, that’s 36% of the comments on the page. Considering the guys other flaws that’s a pretty good hit rate.

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    Mute Grot Master
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    Aug 16th 2015, 5:17 PM

    So what if he’s a rapist, he was a damn good boxer.

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    Mute Grot Master
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    Aug 16th 2015, 5:17 PM

    *racist* Bloody auto correct.

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    Mute Jacques_DaCosta
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    Aug 17th 2015, 1:11 AM

    Spike Lee is an overt racist yet he gets away with it even being nominated for Academy Awards.

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    Mute Michael Walsh
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    Aug 16th 2015, 10:59 AM

    Why is this animal kept in the spot light. He’s a convicted rapist and has done his sport no favours in bitting his opponents. He also feels it’s appropriate to call someone a “white motherf***er”. If he was called a black motherf***er it would be racist. He’s been in films, had huge air time on TV and Radio, it just doesn’t make sense. Can we not cut this guy loose and find decent people in the world to fill the role he’s occupying.

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    Mute Jacques_DaCosta
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:01 PM

    You can analyse and criticize till the cows come home but there’s only one conclusion you can arrive at.
    Mike Tyson had no choice but to become Mike Tyson.
    He was a boxer. A ruthless fighting machine. A man in a brutal sport trying to survive.
    He was born for the ring.

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    Mute Michael Walsh
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:09 PM

    And that makes raping ok then? Seriously we all have a huge part to play in who we become. External factors influence but not decide who we want to be.

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    Mute Nick Nolan
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:59 PM

    Polarising characters be it positive or negative will always fascinate people, the media and of course people that can make money off their back.

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    Mute mcgoo
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    Aug 16th 2015, 10:09 AM

    Looking for Doug……

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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    Aug 16th 2015, 10:10 AM

    Role models must be petty thin on the ground these days

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    Mute WJH
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    Aug 16th 2015, 10:58 AM

    Why is this bullying rapist still being glorified today???

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    Mute AlexOlsenRox
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:06 PM

    Cause he is awesome

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    Mute WJH
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:19 PM

    So you think rape is awesome??? You pathetic fool

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    Mute John James
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    Aug 16th 2015, 10:07 AM

    Mind your ears son mike is hungry …….

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    Mute mcgoo
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    Aug 16th 2015, 1:43 PM

    Mike Tyson’s Autobiography is a great read but it can easily be summarised in three words: Boxing, women, cocaine.

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    Mute Eamonn Connaghan
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    Aug 16th 2015, 7:48 PM

    Don’t forget , rape.

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    Mute Denise Friary
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    Aug 16th 2015, 4:05 PM

    He should be still in prison how he is allowed into Europe never mind Ireland baffles me because he is a convicted sex offender.

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    Mute Kalon Dillon
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    Aug 16th 2015, 7:09 PM

    relax he’s not racist sure he was practically adopted by white folks. it’s just how them brooklyn boys talk.

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    Mute Jacques_DaCosta
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    Aug 16th 2015, 12:31 PM

    Sun Kil Moon’s ‘Ghosts of the Great Highway’
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjA3EbKsl4E&list=PL9C56160C8E63F654
    One of the best albums of the last ten years.
    Pays tribute to some boxing legends who died too young. Particularly poignant is Duk Koo Kim died in the ring against Ray Mancini, trying to haul himself to his feet with his last breath.
    Changed the sport forever.
    Well worth a listen.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBBqLPUxddc

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    Mute captain ireland
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    Feb 19th 2016, 10:04 PM

    A black man cannot be racist

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