Many Roads, One Destination with Chloe Molloy
An interview series exploring young footballers unique journeys to the AFL and AFLW draft.
Calder Cannons and Diamond Creek goal-kicking superstar, Chloe Molloy joined me to talk about her football career so far. Below are transcripts of some of the highlights from the interview including: the reasons behind Chloe’s decision to turn down an NCAA basketball scholarship, how she deals with the expectation she know faces after her immediate football success and how much she just really, really, likes footy.
Q) What has been the hardest part of your football career so far?
A) “The actual kick-off, my transition from basketball to football was the hardest thing so far.
My mum and I — I love her to bits — but we head-butted over my decision to turn down the scholarship for many months. So, in a way, she helped me learn how to stick with what I wanted but she is also supportive of me and my football now, and she has realised that I am good enough and I can get somewhere.”
Q) So, what went into making that decision to turn down the scholarship?
A) “It’s cliche as but it was a case of ‘follow your heart.’
I’m also very stubborn. I wanted to play footy so I was going to do it, no matter what and that’s what I said to Mum: “you can hate me for it, or you can support me.”
Q) And what were her counter arguments?
A) “She had put many years into my basketball, as much as I had. So I did feel like I was letting her down. We had spoken about how it was my dream to go to college and then for me to turn around and say, “You know what Mum? This isn’t my dream anymore,” I think was a bit of a shock to her. So I can understand, from her perspective, why she was upset and disappointed but she understands now.”
Q) In regards to the transition, after you declined your scholarship did you have anything in place footy wise to fall back on?
A) “I suppose that was the thing, It was a massive gamble. I went from having a scholarship as a sure thing to ‘oh, you could be good at footy.’ So from a sure thing to a gamble, you can see why some people thought it was stupid to go with the gamble. But I went with the gamble and it paid off for me and hopefully it continues to pay off.”
Q) Do you have days where you think: ‘I’ve made a mistake! I’ve made the wrong decision! I could have been playing in the WNBA!’ — Do you have any of those thoughts?
A) “That’s the one thing I always get asked, and it is so comforting to me that every time my answer is no. I am so assured that this is what I to do and I haven’t had a day where I miss basketball. (No offence to the sport.)
It was a massive step in my life, of my own independent choice, and I feel like it’s been the right choice for me.”
Q) When it comes to footy, are you a ‘trier’ or a ‘flyer’? AKA ‘super trainer’ or ‘natural jet’?
A) “I don’t like to admit it, but footy does come naturally to me. It’s in my blood. My father was good at footy, my uncle Jarrod and my pop as well. So it does come naturally to me but you do have to work hard and personally I think I could work a lot harder and be a lot better than I am. Hopefully my talent can now take me to the programs that are offer at the AFLW level, and I can work harder and become a better footballer.”
Q) Is there a difference in the workload required from your basketball days or the TAC Cup, compared to the VWFL?
A) “I’ll definitely have to step it up again, as this is the womens level now. I was only playing juniors in basketball and so you could get away with only doing a certain amount. Now you’ve got women like Erin Phillips, I’m sure there’s not a day where she hasn’t got a footy in her hand or is training in some way. As Mum and Dad used to say: (well they said it about basketball but it translates across to football as well) “If you don’t have a footy in your hands, there’s someone out there who does.” I use that motto as motivation…
…I don’t think I could name a female footballer who doesn’t work hard or who doesn’t put in effort every week because we all know what we have got is pretty amazing and that there would be plenty of girls who would give their right arm for what we have got.”
Q) Do you see footy as a passion, a job or a hobby?
A) “I think after that first AFLW season, I can look towards footy as more of a career, which is exciting. Footy used to just be a hobby for me. I used to just love it but now it’s definitely a mixture of all three. I love training but I also love that the opportunity to make football a career is there now.”
Q) Are you afraid that some of the love of the game might be lost as you get more serious about your football?
A) “I have no doubt that there will be days where I think, ‘why did I choose football?’ But you’ve just got to get through them. I’m sure most people have days like that — whatever their job is. Days when they don’t want to go to work but they go anyway. So if footy does become a career for me, I’m sure I’ll have days like that but ultimately if it’s what I what, then I’ll just suck it and get on with it.
At the end of the day — I love footy.”
Listen to the full episode of Many Roads, One Destination with Chloe Molloy in the player above, via our Soundcloud profile or in the ‘Collections’ tabs of Footy Live.
