Almost a decade after getting on a plane to Australia to play a sport she'd barely heard of, Cora Staunton now finds herself helping select the Irish team for the inaugural AFLW International Rules clash.
When GWS came calling in 2017, Staunton knew little about Aussie Rules. But what began as a leap into the unknown resulted in a Giants life membership and saw her become the club's all-time leading AFLW goalkicker. Yet it may be the pathway she created for Irish players, rather than her own achievements, that becomes her greatest legacy.
"When I first got the phone call from Nick Walsh about contacting Alan McConnell and that he wanted me to get involved, I was kind of like, 'Is this a bit of a piss take?'"
Then just two days after representing Mayo in an All-Ireland final, Staunton boarded a plane bound for Sydney.
"It was only when I was on the flight over that I thought, 'Oh my God, what am I doing?'" Staunton told ESPN.
For one of Gaelic football's most decorated players, the transition meant starting almost from scratch.
GWS coach at the time Alan McConnell became instrumental in helping her settle into a new country and learn a completely different sport.
"Alan was hugely impactful in my first few years there," she said.
"He helped me learn the game and spent a huge amount of time with me both on and off the field. He taught me the skills and really helped me hone in on them.
"The first eight weeks before that first practice match were the hardest. But the opportunity for an Irish person to play professional sport is something that is very difficult to turn down."
Staunton admitted her kicking was "certainly not great" when she first arrived.
"I found a technique that suited me. It was almost like kicking around the corner, which is something we're used to doing at home," she said.
"But what I realised was that, realistically, as a key forward I wasn't trying to hit up targets from the midfield. Your job is to kick goals. It doesn't matter how ugly it looks sometimes."
What Staunton couldn't have known then was the impact she would have in building the relationship between Ireland and the AFLW.
That impact will be on full display this weekend, with Staunton helping oversee the next generation as a member of Ireland's selection committee for the inaugural women's International Rules clash.
The occasion carries special significance for Staunton.
Staunton represented Ireland in the 2006 women's compromise rules series, nearly two decades before the AFLW even existed. Alongside Daisy Pearce, she is one of only five other players from that series to later play in the AFLW.
Now she finally gets to see an International Rules contest featuring the very competition she helped shape.
"I think it'll be a fantastic spectacle to watch and be a part of," she said.
"It's going to be brilliant for all the girls, and I just hope it's a really good game."
Selecting the squad was no easy task.
"It was difficult enough trying to narrow it down to 25 players," she said.
"There were definitely some hard calls.
"I actually think it'll become even harder over the next few years if this series continues because there'll be even more players to choose from."
That depth is perhaps the clearest illustration of how dramatically the Irish influence has grown.
When Staunton first arrived in Australia, Irish players across the AFLW could be counted on one hand. Today, there are nearly 50.
"No, I probably didn't think initially, when I went over, that it would become so big in Ireland or that so many girls, both young and older, would follow," she said.
"There are girls now who are 13, 14 and 15 years old who already want to have a career in the AFLW.
"I get plenty of phone calls and messages asking me how they can become AFLW players, which is a bit surreal, to be honest."
The AFLW's Irish pipeline has evolved far beyond word-of-mouth recommendations.
Many clubs are now making regular recruiting trips to Ireland, meeting players and their families before making list decisions.
"I get contacted all the time by clubs wanting to meet for a coffee so I can give them an idea of the landscape," Staunton said.
"I'm not doing any scouting, but I've met with a number of clubs this year alone, which shows just how interested they are in Irish talent."
Looking back, Staunton admits there's a sense of pride in what the movement has become.
"So, yeah, you probably are a bit proud now. But at the same time, all of those girls have earned it themselves."
READ: Australia vs. Ireland AFLW - Teams, venue, prediction and why this match could change the game
The AFLW's rapid growth has created opportunities unlike anything women's Gaelic football has seen before, yet it has also left Ireland's domestic competition fighting to retain many of its biggest stars.
"I'm very conflicted because I obviously love Gaelic football, but I also equally love AFL and AFLW," she said.
"There's no doubt in my mind that the quality and standard of Gaelic football is suffering because of what we're losing to Australia."
For the first time, she said there are no current AFLW-listed players returning home to play county football before heading back to Australia, something Staunton believes highlights just how difficult it has become to balance both sports.
"It's become almost impossible to do both because you're effectively playing 12 months of the year."
Staunton believes it is now up to Gaelic football's administrators to respond.
"So, yes, Gaelic football is suffering, but that's really the GAA's and the LGFA's problem to solve.
"I know it'll probably never become a fully professional sport, but financially they have to support players better."
Despite the conflict, her advice to the next generation has never changed.
"Whenever a young player rings me asking whether they should chase an AFLW career, the first thing I say is, 'Go for it.'
"It's an unbelievable experience."
As for Saturday's clash, Staunton expects the occasion to match its billing.
"I expect it to be very fiery and very spicy," she said.
"I don't think it'll be a friendly match."
"There's always been this perception that the Irish are coming over to play a game they don't fully understand, but that's no longer the case."
"Once the Irish players pull on that jumper, they'll be desperate to prove they're every bit as good as the Australians."
When Ireland takes the field on Saturday with a squad boasting premiership players, All-Australians and some of the AFLW's biggest stars, it will be the clearest reflection of the pathway Cora Staunton helped create when she boarded a plane to Sydney in 2017 to play a sport she barely knew.
