AFLW 2023: Chloe Molloy Hopeful Of Swans Playing Finals Ahead Of Taking On Former Team Collingwood
The Swans are making an improbable run at the finals, but star recruit Chloe Molloy isn't getting ahead of herself just yet. This is especially true considering that she will be going up against her former teammates from the Pies this weekend.
On Sunday, the Collingwood women's football team will take the field against the Sydney Swans in an AFLW matchup, and they will recognise a friendly face in the stands.
A woman in a Sydney guernsey, scarf, and red love-heart spectacles will stick out against the sea of red and white.
Chloe Molloy said that her mother was constantly around and that her mother's glasses were always within reach. She wore them for the first game, and she still has them on.
Molloy is aware, however, that her mother, Debbie, will be torn this coming weekend when it comes to her allegiance to the Pies.
It will be the first time that the 24-year-old player faces off against her former club; she is one of three Swans who have previously competed for the illustrious black and white.
Molloy stated, "I believe that when you are a part of something for such a long period of time, you have emotional ties and connections." In spite of the fact that I was playing for that football club, my parents were always there to support me through everything.
"I can easily imagine guys from [Collingwood] coming up to Mum and Dad after the game, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I wouldn't want it any other way. That constituted six years out of my entire existence.
"However, she will maintain her allegiance to the Bloods. She'll be pulling for the pie, but she'll also be pulling for us to come out on top.
On Sunday, the Swans will be looking to Molloy to help them earn their fifth win of the year.
"There were a couple of tagged posts and a couple of extra DMs," she admits, but the co-captain still had her finest game of the year against the Bulldogs and set an AFLW record with 17 score involvements.
There's too much at stake for Molloy to be preoccupied with the fact that she has to face her old comrades.
After a winless debut season, Sydney is on the cusp of a surprising top-eight finish. A win against the Pies and another against Fremantle on the road may be all they need to make the playoffs.
Because of "the individual that I am," Molloy has experienced "a little bit of extra noise" during her AFLW career. So I've learned to ignore it, and I'm not too worried about the upcoming weekend.
One of the two must-win matches is against my former team. It's thrilling to have a team that went winless for so long suddenly contend for a championship.
"I've never seen a team be able to progress that quickly," said the coach, "if I take my Sydney hat off and look at it."
She hasn't been the only factor in the Swans' ascent up the table, despite the fact that many people will point to Molloy's form as being a big spark for the Swans' recovery. In particular, it is their exceptionally gifted generation still in their teens who is spearheading the charge.
Since relocating from Geelong, Laura Gardiner has been quite successful. The young woman, who is 21 years old, has an average of 29 disposals per game and is now ranked third in the AFLCA's AFLW Champion Player of the Year voting.
The young actresses Cynthia Hamilton and Montana Ham have made significant strides since their first seasons on the show. While Ally Morphett, Ella Heads, and Sofia Hurley have been nominated for Rising Star as part of the Swans, the band has received three nominations overall.
Molloy is quoted as saying, "I think I've just reaped the benefits of how well we've played as a group," and I believe that to be the case. It signified that I was getting other people into the game when the score involvement record was positive. I contributed the link that was missing in the chain.
"I know when I first came in, you struck the scene and played well, but because you're still young, you may get wrapped up a bit in your own world and get ahead of yourself. What has impressed me the most is that they haven't... I would say that they are the most humble group that I have ever encountered.
"I look around and think, 'God, you just don't realise how good you are.'" I can't wait to see them shatter my records, which is something I know they are going to do.
The Swans may have been slow to enter the AFLW, but it cannot be denied that they have made a name for themselves in record time.
Molloy is aware that the team she is heading is competing for more than just immediate glory as they prepare for what is expected to be another large crowd on Sunday at Henson Park, which will further add to their reputation as the club with the greatest attendances.
Molloy commented, "I've enjoyed previous grounds that I've played at, but Henson is up there," referring to the grounds that he has played at before. "The number of people that make it out to our games is truly remarkable, and it says a lot about what Sydney has been able to accomplish in terms of community building."
"Long-term success is an important message that we're trying to get across. I don't believe that we have a schedule; rather, I believe that we are forming a culture and determining how Sydney wants to play in the years to come.
"It is quite naive to go that far forward at this point. When we tell ourselves, "We've accomplished a lot, so we should be happy," we fall back into the trap of complacency. If we continue to do that, we will continue to have games like the one we had against Hawthorn, in which we did that.
"We are setting the foundations for a strong football team that, in the years to come, will always be pushing for finals. We are pushing each other to be better, and we are pushing the program to be better."