CORA Staunton will rack up a significant milestone this weekend, but Greater Western Sydney's Irish star is still undecided on whether she will play on in 2023.
Staunton, the first international player signed to an AFLW list in 2017, will play her 50th game against Gold Coast on Sunday in the final round of the season.
However, the 40-year-old said she would return to her homeland in the off-season before deciding on the prospect of playing a seventh season or not.
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"I don't like any of that attention," Staunton said on Wednesday when asked about her future.
"I normally assess at the end of the season, see where I'm at.
"I probably need to go home because you're in a little bit of a bubble here and it's very hard to make a decision.
"This is the first time when I've gone home we don't have a Gaelic football season, we're in winter at home, there's no football to go home to.
"It's nice to go home and rest up, I probably haven't done that in a long time.
"I'm looking forward to that and the decision will come on the back of that."
With her decorated Gaelic career for Mayo still well and truly going when she signed for the Giants, Staunton adapted quickly to the Sherrin.
Not only will Sunday be her 50th consecutive game, but Staunton is also third on the all-time AFLW goalkickers list with 54, trailing only Tayla Harris (57) and Darcy Vescio (55).
"I thought I was going to be here for one season, to be honest," she said.
"Even on the plane on the way over to Australia for my first season I was thinking 'this is a one-year thing'.
"I've surprised myself I've lasted this long, It's a very physical game. It's tough on your body.
"When I came over here first, God did I even think I'd play five or 10 games? Probably not, but the years have flown by."
Staunton said it was her competitive drive that kept her playing as long as she has.
Having conquered Gaelic football, soccer and rugby union previously, she said it was now team success she craved.
"When I came over in 2017 I was one of the top players from a Gaelic football sense and you come to AFL and you're at the bottom of the ladder,
"I was right down at (number) 30 in the Giants squad and way further down in the League. You want to try and challenge yourself to get better. You just become really competitive.
"Then you fall in love with the club … become really passionate about it and want to see the team succeed.
"I'm at an age now where it's not about individual awards, I just want to see the team do well and the club do really well and get to finals and be recognised for all the hard work they put in."
