John McNulty appointment will help maintain standards - Niamh McLaughlin

Donegal captain Niamh McLaughlin says the appointment of John McNulty as new ladies team senior boss is a positive development. 

Maxi Curran departed after a six-year term following the side’s 3-12 to 0-6 defeat to Dublin in the quarter-final of the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship back in July.

In that time, the Downings man guided the team to Ulster Senior Championship crowns in 2018, 2019 and this season. 

In that same time-frame, Donegal reached two All-Ireland semi-finals, losing out to Cork in 2018 and then Meath last year.

The Donegal LGFA board took their time in finding a suitable successor but McLaughlin - who has starred Down Under for Aussie Rules side Gold Coast Suns in recent months - says she’s excited to get back down to business with her county now that the Suns’ AFLW season has ended. 

“There were a few senior players involved in doing a bit of work with that before I even left for Australia. And we’re delighted John has decided to come on board. 

“He’s had really good success with a number of clubs in Donegal. There is a level of professionalism already there that John will maintain and look to build upon. 

“I’ve spoken to him on the phone already and he’s a really personable person and that’s important as well”. 

In the All-Donegal AFLW Finals clash last Saturday morning it was Robert Emmets’ Tanya Kennedy and the Sydney Swans that came out on top, 58-41, against McLaughlin and the Gold Coast Suns.

Moville dynamo McLaughlin dug as deep as anyone for the Suns but they just couldn’t recover from an early four-goal concession.

Next up for Kennedy is another tangle with a Donegal teammate as Glenfin’s Yvonne Bonner and the Adelaide Crows now stand between Sydney and a place in the AFLW preliminary decider.

For McLaughlin and the Suns, it's the end of the road, but a first season in the AFLW that she can be really proud of.