Latest news with #ChloeMolloy
The Guardian
19 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Success in AFLW has meant weathering change but not everyone has been quick to adapt
If the heaviest bumps in football land on those least braced for them, then Chloe Molloy's season-ending ACL injury knocked the Swans clean off their feet last year. It certainly had that effect on fans. Reports of the injury came in at a trickle, yet they could have been thunderclaps for how they reverberated around the fanbase. Many were already en route to the game, Sydney's first in Melbourne for the season. Others were back home, frantically refreshing social feeds for updates. All were stunned silent. It's not difficult to understand why. When Molloy arrived in Sydney the previous year, it was to a club fresh off the back of a winless inaugural season – not cause for panic, not yet, but surely a far cry from what the club would have wanted. Every other AFLW expansion team had stared down the same steep learning curve, but it was still a problem that demanded a solution. Enter Molloy. Her debut was swift and her impact immediate, booting the winning goal in the Swans' first victory one round into their second season. Something visibly clicked into place for the young team, and they proceeded on a run so transformed that they qualified for finals. It would be remiss to pin this extraordinary turnaround on just one player, of course. The entire team was noticeably more cohesive in their second outing, much more mature, and they had been bolstered by a handful of other off-season acquisitions. Yet there was no denying the Molloy effect. To a market that had waited so long for a women's team of their own, having a star player come in as captain and instantly court success was electrifying. It's little wonder that losing her was so significant. On the field, the Swans struggled to regain their footing, and they registered just two further wins in the 2024 season. But for all that Molloy brings with her presence, it may be her absence that is most instructive. Coming into its 10th season, the AFLW is a competition perhaps best characterised by change. From conference systems and endless rule tweaks to season timing shifts, this league's becoming has seen more fluctuations than steady ground. Success has come to depend upon a team's ability to not just weather change, but to find a way to thrive within it – to embrace these challenges as opportunities. Take North Melbourne's rampant 2024 campaign, winning a premiership on the heels of a lossless season. A simplistic reading might attribute their win streak solely to talent disparity across the league, but throughout nine seasons and three expansions, this was still just the first undefeated full season in AFLW history. Emphasising a talent gap does a disservice to all that this team has weathered along the journey. The list churn, the injuries, the Covid interruptions – to say nothing of last year's hard-fought wins against worthy opponents. The Kangaroos have, however, been in the league since its first expansion in 2019. Longevity alone does not translate to AFLW success – four inaugural teams are yet to win a flag. But length of tenure grants teams more time and more opportunity to build a culture of resilience from the ground up. It exposes them to a greater variety of challenges, so that they might equip themselves with the tools to better withstand them in future. The Kangaroos' time in this tumultuous competition shaped them into the seasoned leaders and players that took to the field last year. That kind of experience, that culture, struggles to be imported into teams – it must be both learned and earned. Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion This year, now that each team has at least three seasons under their belts, perhaps we will see more of this learning on show. Hawthorn, another late entrant, will be looking to build on their steady progress, and once again put themselves in serious contention. West Coast will seek momentum through stringing some consecutive wins together. And after a handful of close losses saw them just miss finals, Geelong will surely aim to improve their finishing. For Sydney, much of their 2025 campaign still hinges on just how well Molloy bounces back from injury. But their biggest test will come in how the team utilises what they've built throughout her absence. How they can capitalise on confidence gained, and how the leadership forged can improve upon the foundations already laid. Because the beauty of this league is in watching teams work it out for themselves – week by week, step by promising step. Maybe the next bump still bowls the Swans over. But maybe this time, better braced for it, climbing to their feet will be far easier.
7NEWS
06-08-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Sydney AFLW captain Chloe Molloy addresses 2024 injury denial head-on
Superstar captain Chloe Molloy has declared herself fit for Sydney's AFLW season opener, less than a year after tearing her ACL. And the dynamic forward has no regrets over Sydney's foiled attempt to initially hide the extent of her injury. Molloy, 26, suffered the dreaded knee injury at training in September 2024, just one game into last season. Now, she has next Friday's match against Richmond at North Sydney Oval in her sights. 'I'm back in a position where I can be up for round one selection, which I'm stoked with, and that's what I was always going to aim for,' Molloy told AAP. 'I'm in a position to be playing fully fit, not restricted. I'm just itching to get out there. 'I felt really at a loss on how to help the team last year. 'Especially when you're in a leadership position as well, and you're someone that they turn to, it broke my heart that I couldn't get out there.' Molloy jarred her knee at a Friday training session but believed it was innocuous. But scan results that Sunday morning, hours before Sydney's clash with St Kilda, delivered the worst possible news. When news broke that she had torn her ACL, both Molloy and Sydney initially denied it, not wanting to distract her teammates. 'Especially as a captain, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise the performance of my team, and that's the overarching thing for me,' Molloy said. 'I can totally respect what people need to know. 'But for me, in the position that I was, I needed to do everything I could for my team to win, and that for me was the decision to not tell them. 'So I don't have any regrets about it.' Molloy is reaping the rewards of her obsessive approach to rehab. 'From day one, I wanted to get back as soon as I could,' she said. 'So it dictated my life. On one hand, it was really good, because I was so tedious and diligent with my rehabbing. '(But) it genuinely probably drove me insane.' While injured, Molloy also completed a player development wellbeing course, and is trying to become better at finding balance and being present. Molloy was one of the best players in the league before her injury and she and coach Scott Gowans believe she can quickly return to those heights 'I've done everything I can to put myself in this position,' she said. 'Scotty said before I played match sim for the first time: 'We've recognised it. Staff have recognised it. Players now see it, and now it's time for the world to see it'.' The Swans are thinking big too. 'We want to be a finals team,' Molloy said. 'And we're not going to shy away from it.'
ABC News
06-08-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Sydney AFLW captain Chloe Molloy has no regrets about keeping news of knee injury from teammates
Superstar captain Chloe Molloy has declared herself fit for Sydney's AFLW season opener, less than a year after tearing her ACL. And the dynamic forward has no regrets over Sydney's foiled attempt to initially hide the extent of her injury. Molloy, 26, suffered the dreaded knee injury at training in September 2024, just one game into last season. Now, she has next Friday's match against Richmond at North Sydney Oval in her sights. "I'm back in a position where I can be up for round one selection, which I'm stoked with, and that's what I was always going to aim for," Molloy told AAP. "I'm in a position to be playing fully fit, not restricted. I'm just itching to get out there. "I felt really at a loss on how to help the team last year. "Especially when you're in a leadership position as well, and you're someone that they turn to, it broke my heart that I couldn't get out there." Molloy jarred her knee at a Friday training session but believed it was innocuous. But scan results that Sunday morning, hours before Sydney's clash with St Kilda, delivered the worst possible news. When news broke that she had torn her ACL, both Molloy and Sydney initially denied it, not wanting to distract her teammates. "Especially as a captain, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise the performance of my team, and that's the overarching thing for me," Molloy said. "I can totally respect what people need to know. "But for me, in the position that I was, I needed to do everything I could for my team to win, and that for me was the decision to not tell them. "So I don't have any regrets about it." Molloy is reaping the rewards of her obsessive approach to rehab. "From day one, I wanted to get back as soon as I could," she said. "So it dictated my life. On one hand, it was really good, because I was so tedious and diligent with my rehabbing. "(But) it genuinely probably drove me insane." While injured, Molloy also completed a player development wellbeing course, and is trying to become better at finding balance and being present. Molloy was one of the best players in the league before her injury and she and coach Scott Gowans believe she can quickly return to those heights "I've done everything I can to put myself in this position," she said. "Scotty said before I played match sim for the first time: 'We've recognised it. Staff have recognised it. Players now see it, and now it's time for the world to see it.'" The Swans are thinking big too. "We want to be a finals team," Molloy said. "And we're not going to shy away from it." AAP
Perth Now
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
No regrets: Star Swan ready for AFLW return
Superstar captain Chloe Molloy has declared herself fit for Sydney's AFLW season opener, less than a year after tearing her ACL. And the dynamic forward has no regrets over Sydney's foiled attempt to initially hide the extent of her injury. Molloy, 26, suffered the dreaded knee injury at training in September 2024, just one game into last season. Now, she has next Friday's match against Richmond at North Sydney Oval in her sights. "I'm back in a position where I can be up for round one selection, which I'm stoked with, and that's what I was always going to aim for," Molloy told AAP. "I'm in a position to be playing fully fit, not restricted. I'm just itching to get out there. "I felt really at a loss on how to help the team last year. "Especially when you're in a leadership position as well, and you're someone that they turn to, it broke my heart that I couldn't get out there." Molloy jarred her knee at a Friday training session but believed it was innocuous. But scan results that Sunday morning, hours before Sydney's clash with St Kilda, delivered the worst possible news. When news broke that she had torn her ACL, both Molloy and Sydney initially denied it, not wanting to distract her teammates. "Especially as a captain, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise the performance of my team, and that's the overarching thing for me," Molloy said. "I can totally respect what people need to know. "But for me, in the position that I was, I needed to do everything I could for my team to win, and that for me was the decision to not tell them. "So I don't have any regrets about it." Molloy is reaping the rewards of her obsessive approach to rehab. "From day one, I wanted to get back as soon as I could," she said. "So it dictated my life. On one hand, it was really good, because I was so tedious and diligent with my rehabbing. "(But) it genuinely probably drove me insane." While injured, Molloy also completed a player development wellbeing course, and is trying to become better at finding balance and being present. Molloy was one of the best players in the league before her injury and she and coach Scott Gowans believe she can quickly return to those heights "I've done everything I can to put myself in this position," she said. "Scotty said before I played match sim for the first time: 'We've recognised it. Staff have recognised it. Players now see it, and now it's time for the world to see it'." The Swans are thinking big too. "We want to be a finals team," Molloy said. "And we're not going to shy away from it."
The Advertiser
06-08-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
No regrets: Star Swan ready for AFLW return
Superstar captain Chloe Molloy has declared herself fit for Sydney's AFLW season opener, less than a year after tearing her ACL. And the dynamic forward has no regrets over Sydney's foiled attempt to initially hide the extent of her injury. Molloy, 26, suffered the dreaded knee injury at training in September 2024, just one game into last season. Now, she has next Friday's match against Richmond at North Sydney Oval in her sights. "I'm back in a position where I can be up for round one selection, which I'm stoked with, and that's what I was always going to aim for," Molloy told AAP. "I'm in a position to be playing fully fit, not restricted. I'm just itching to get out there. "I felt really at a loss on how to help the team last year. "Especially when you're in a leadership position as well, and you're someone that they turn to, it broke my heart that I couldn't get out there." Molloy jarred her knee at a Friday training session but believed it was innocuous. But scan results that Sunday morning, hours before Sydney's clash with St Kilda, delivered the worst possible news. When news broke that she had torn her ACL, both Molloy and Sydney initially denied it, not wanting to distract her teammates. "Especially as a captain, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise the performance of my team, and that's the overarching thing for me," Molloy said. "I can totally respect what people need to know. "But for me, in the position that I was, I needed to do everything I could for my team to win, and that for me was the decision to not tell them. "So I don't have any regrets about it." Molloy is reaping the rewards of her obsessive approach to rehab. "From day one, I wanted to get back as soon as I could," she said. "So it dictated my life. On one hand, it was really good, because I was so tedious and diligent with my rehabbing. "(But) it genuinely probably drove me insane." While injured, Molloy also completed a player development wellbeing course, and is trying to become better at finding balance and being present. Molloy was one of the best players in the league before her injury and she and coach Scott Gowans believe she can quickly return to those heights "I've done everything I can to put myself in this position," she said. "Scotty said before I played match sim for the first time: 'We've recognised it. Staff have recognised it. Players now see it, and now it's time for the world to see it'." The Swans are thinking big too. "We want to be a finals team," Molloy said. "And we're not going to shy away from it." Superstar captain Chloe Molloy has declared herself fit for Sydney's AFLW season opener, less than a year after tearing her ACL. And the dynamic forward has no regrets over Sydney's foiled attempt to initially hide the extent of her injury. Molloy, 26, suffered the dreaded knee injury at training in September 2024, just one game into last season. Now, she has next Friday's match against Richmond at North Sydney Oval in her sights. "I'm back in a position where I can be up for round one selection, which I'm stoked with, and that's what I was always going to aim for," Molloy told AAP. "I'm in a position to be playing fully fit, not restricted. I'm just itching to get out there. "I felt really at a loss on how to help the team last year. "Especially when you're in a leadership position as well, and you're someone that they turn to, it broke my heart that I couldn't get out there." Molloy jarred her knee at a Friday training session but believed it was innocuous. But scan results that Sunday morning, hours before Sydney's clash with St Kilda, delivered the worst possible news. When news broke that she had torn her ACL, both Molloy and Sydney initially denied it, not wanting to distract her teammates. "Especially as a captain, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise the performance of my team, and that's the overarching thing for me," Molloy said. "I can totally respect what people need to know. "But for me, in the position that I was, I needed to do everything I could for my team to win, and that for me was the decision to not tell them. "So I don't have any regrets about it." Molloy is reaping the rewards of her obsessive approach to rehab. "From day one, I wanted to get back as soon as I could," she said. "So it dictated my life. On one hand, it was really good, because I was so tedious and diligent with my rehabbing. "(But) it genuinely probably drove me insane." While injured, Molloy also completed a player development wellbeing course, and is trying to become better at finding balance and being present. Molloy was one of the best players in the league before her injury and she and coach Scott Gowans believe she can quickly return to those heights "I've done everything I can to put myself in this position," she said. "Scotty said before I played match sim for the first time: 'We've recognised it. Staff have recognised it. Players now see it, and now it's time for the world to see it'." The Swans are thinking big too. "We want to be a finals team," Molloy said. "And we're not going to shy away from it." Superstar captain Chloe Molloy has declared herself fit for Sydney's AFLW season opener, less than a year after tearing her ACL. And the dynamic forward has no regrets over Sydney's foiled attempt to initially hide the extent of her injury. Molloy, 26, suffered the dreaded knee injury at training in September 2024, just one game into last season. Now, she has next Friday's match against Richmond at North Sydney Oval in her sights. "I'm back in a position where I can be up for round one selection, which I'm stoked with, and that's what I was always going to aim for," Molloy told AAP. "I'm in a position to be playing fully fit, not restricted. I'm just itching to get out there. "I felt really at a loss on how to help the team last year. "Especially when you're in a leadership position as well, and you're someone that they turn to, it broke my heart that I couldn't get out there." Molloy jarred her knee at a Friday training session but believed it was innocuous. But scan results that Sunday morning, hours before Sydney's clash with St Kilda, delivered the worst possible news. When news broke that she had torn her ACL, both Molloy and Sydney initially denied it, not wanting to distract her teammates. "Especially as a captain, I'm not going to do anything to jeopardise the performance of my team, and that's the overarching thing for me," Molloy said. "I can totally respect what people need to know. "But for me, in the position that I was, I needed to do everything I could for my team to win, and that for me was the decision to not tell them. "So I don't have any regrets about it." Molloy is reaping the rewards of her obsessive approach to rehab. "From day one, I wanted to get back as soon as I could," she said. "So it dictated my life. On one hand, it was really good, because I was so tedious and diligent with my rehabbing. "(But) it genuinely probably drove me insane." While injured, Molloy also completed a player development wellbeing course, and is trying to become better at finding balance and being present. Molloy was one of the best players in the league before her injury and she and coach Scott Gowans believe she can quickly return to those heights "I've done everything I can to put myself in this position," she said. "Scotty said before I played match sim for the first time: 'We've recognised it. Staff have recognised it. Players now see it, and now it's time for the world to see it'." The Swans are thinking big too. "We want to be a finals team," Molloy said. "And we're not going to shy away from it."
