Yvonne Bonner pens deal with Adelaide Crows in the AFLW

Donegal and Glenfin forward Yvonne Bonner has signed for Adelaide Crows in the AFLW.

Bonner previously represented Greater Western Sydney Giants. She first lined out for Donegal seniors in 2002 and in 2010, was an All-Ireland Intermediate Football Championship winner, adding onto her provincial success that summer. She was voted an All-Star that year, as well as winning the Donegal Player of the Year.

With her club Glenfin, Bonner was a Donegal SFC winner in 2011, 2018, 2018, 2020 and 2021, having been an intermediate winner in 2004 and then minor county champion in 2005. 

She made her AFLW debut in 2019 kicking an average of almost a goal per game, before an ankle injury ended her 2020 season after only four games and she later returned home due to the pandemic.

Adelaide Head of Women’s Football Phil Harper said the ready-made forward would be a handy addition to the squad.

“We’ve followed Yvonne’s career since she made her AFLW debut and she was always a dangerous opponent and a difficult match-up, so when she indicated she was thinking of returning this year, we were very interested,” Harper told the club's website. “Yvonne is an experienced athlete with a strong work ethic but also a noted goalkicker in both Gaelic and AFLW and that will give us another option inside attacking 50m.

“Yvonne has the capacity to have an immediate impact and can help make us better this season. We look forward to welcoming Yvonne, Paul and Brid to Adelaide in the coming months.”

Last month, Bonner's Donegal teammate Niamh McLaughlin, the 2022 TG4 senior Players' Player of the Year  move to AFLW side Gold Coast Suns was confirmed. She will make the move to Australia after Donegal's participation in the championship this summer.

The Donegal captain today departed Dublin Airport alongside teammates Geraldine and Nicole McLaughlin for the 2023 TG4 LGFA All-Star Tour to Austin in Texas. The local Celtic Cowboys will host the traditional exhibition game between the 2021 and 2022 All Star selections, which will be played at St. Edward’s University on Easter Sunday.

Niamh McLaughlin and Nicole McLaughlin will play for the 2022 All-Stars, with Geraldine McLaughlin in action for the 2021 selection. This game will be live-streamed on the Spórt TG4 YouTube page, with coverage getting underway from 2:20pm local time (8:20pm Irish time), ahead of throw-in at 2:30pm local time (8:30pm Irish time).