Although she is one of the stars of AFLV, Chloe Molloy does not believe in her popularity. “I’m just a Whittlesey boy,” says co-captain Sydney Swans, referring to the Victorian town where she grew up.
“I don’t see myself in that light.”
The self-proclaimed “cutie”, who ran around kicking the ball in her Collingwood jumper, has come a long way.
Within six years, she won the AFLV Rising Star Award, was named an All-Australian three times and won Collingwood’s best and fairest. But Molloy sees those achievements as just the beginning.
“This year,” she tells Stellar, “I shifted my mindset to what makes a great athlete.
“Serena Williams, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady – what are they doing that I’m not? I know it’s on a completely different scale, but for me [I’ve got] low talent, low IQ, strength and conditioning are two things any athlete can always work on – so what else can I do? My plan is to start pulling more people with me and pave the way. I did it for myself, so now it’s my turn to do it for others.”
Having started her career as the No. 3 pick in the 2017 AFLV draft, Molloy went on to play five seasons with the Melbourne Magpies before making the jump and reuniting with one of her younger coaches, Scott Gowans, now an AFLV senior . coach for the Swans in Sydney. That’s where being a part of something bigger comes in.
“Sports has the power to change things, and as athletes we are blessed with a platform to make an impact,” she says.
“You learn that pretty quickly by how recognizable you are when you’re playing a good game – suddenly more people want to know what you’re doing.” And not in a bad way. They just become more invested.
“I’m a Collingwood fan so I’ve been living my childhood dream playing for the club I grew up supporting.” I had my Pies Gurnsey after wearing it as a little girl. But being involved in more conversations about where we want the game to go, I thought, I have a really good opportunity to make an impact and help a program in Sydney that struggled in its first season.
“I could have a Collingwood legacy, or I could have an AFLV legacy – as one who wasn’t afraid to move and change to get outside his comfort zone.”
Speaking to Stellar, Govans describes the 25-year-old Molloy as a great leader.
“On the court, she’s a momentum changer, she can turn the game around,” he says. “In those moments of pressure, she is composed.
“Chloe often talks about wanting to leave a legacy and she knows it’s not just something you do when you’re done. It is constantly measured in how you hold yourself, how you work, how you lead.”
After signing with Sydney, Molloy had to adjust to life away from Melbourne. She’s no longer an hour’s drive from her mom, and her biggest supporters are on a plane ride.
Still, she says the New South Wales capital suits her. Since moving, she’s spent her downtime at the beach and become a self-confident foodie.
The new commute is also easy, just a nine-minute drive between the Swans’ Moore Park headquarters and the Waterloo home she shares with her roommate, Greater Western Sydney Giants forward Aliesha Newman.
While Molloy has settled in Sydney, there is another place that also has her heart. At the time of the Stellar interview, she was in Queensland visiting her girlfriend Jade Ellenger, who plays for the Brisbane Lions AFLV team.
They’ve only been dating for four months, but “have been in each other’s lives for about two years,” explains Molloy.
“The timing never worked for us. [With] distance, our worlds never aligned until late last year. She actually asked me on a date and I said ‘no’ because I’m committed to Sydney; I do not have time. To her credit, she pushed hard and said ‘I want this to work.’ I was like, ‘You know what? I’ve been waiting so many years for this, let’s try it.”
The effort is more than worth it, despite its complexity. “It’s hard when you have crappy days,” Molloy admits.
“You want to escape to your support person, the one who sees you at your worst, and we don’t have that luxury.” But saying that, we both live this passion of ours. One of the best things is that we support each other.
“She does it.” [master of nursing] and football, and I wouldn’t want her to be anywhere else but Brisbane because of the connections she’s made there and how influential she is to that football club.
“She’s needed in Queensland and I’m needed in Sydney and that’s fine because we’re doing what we love and we know that at the end of the day we’ll be there for each other, whether it’s over the phone or if I can physically hug her .”
With the AFLV set to enter its ninth season, Molloy wants to see the game and its players move into a new phase by leveling up and accepting a wider range of feedback from fans and commentators.
“The game should be criticized now, and by that I mean the team and individual players. We want an analysis,” she explains.
“I definitely think that’s the next step.” You want the little fans to sit at home and analyze and agree and disagree with what the experts are saying. Players won’t have a problem with it because it’s an elite sport.
“If you don’t like it, don’t do it.” I get paid to play football and that’s what comes with it.”
When it comes to being one of the faces of the Sydney AFLV scene, Molloy takes his role very seriously.
“When I first arrived in Sydney, I spoke to an elderly couple who had been members of the Swans for over 30 years but hadn’t signed up for the women’s team because ‘girls don’t play football’,” she recalls. “They said, ‘Didn’t you hurt yourself?’
“We’re pen pals now, and they just signed up to be AFLV platinum members,” she adds.
“So we’re changing generations, we’re changing perceptions.”
The 2024 AFLV season begins on August 30. Read the full interview and watch a clip with Chloe Molly in Stellar. For more from Stellar, click here.
Originally published as We want analysis: Swans co-captain Chloe Molloy on why AFLV needs more footy criticism