Chloe Molloy is one busy woman. As well as being a star footballer on the field for the Collingwood Magpies, the AFLW player has also recently completed a media graduate program with Fox Sports. It presents an exciting opportunity for Molloy, who has since accepted the role of Assistant Producer at Fox Footy where she’s already cemented her presence as a well-loved and respected part of the office and studio team.
Not surprisingly, Molloy has come to be regarded as a ‘triple-threat’ in the sport. With her incredible skills that make her a dominant force on the field and great asset for Collingwood, she’s become a player that demands attention, certain to inspire younger generations to get involved and pick up a footy. But if all that wasn’t enough, her new role will also see her serve as commentator and producer, bringing greater attention to a sport she loves so dearly.
It’s a new venture that Molloy is particularly looking forward to, having spent the last year working with Fox Sports New where she learned every aspect of what it takes to be a live sports television producer. From cutting stories in the editing suite to writing rundowns, creating storylines and designing graphics, hers is a busy schedule that will see her work with Fox Footy’s elite production team and best on-air talent in the business. And the good news for sports lovers is that it means she’ll be bringing the AFL and AFLW to life on our screens.
We sat down with Molloy to hear more about what got her into the sport of AFLW, who her role models were when growing up, and how lessons instilled on the field have helped shape the businesswoman she is today with a career in the studio.
Women’s Health: Who introduced you to AFL and what are your earliest memories of the sport?
Chloe Molloy: My uncle actually played for Collingwood, so I remember watching him on the TV playing football. I guess that’s how I found my love for AFL and for Collingwood. Growing up as a little girl I always had a football in hand, I would played at school, after school and pretty much every waking hour. I grew up with all boys on my street and we would just play whatever sport was in season and when the street lights came on we would all head back inside.
When did you think it was something you could pursue professionally?
I didn’t think it was something I could pursue until it was announced that the AFLW was going to be a league in 2017. I played junior football growing up and had to stop because there was no pathway for females, so never thought ever that I would be making a career out of football. It never ever crossed my mind, nor my parents’. They just wanted me to stay fit and active as a kid, so I moved to basketball when I wasn’t allowed to play football. But the second the AFLW was established I had to be amongst it. I missed the first season and couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer, gave up a scholarship to come back to the sport I loved.
Growing up, who were your role models in the sport? In terms of sports commentating, were there female role models you could look up to?
Supporting idol was Jenna O’Hea who played basketball, all my football role models were men as there weren’t female footballers when I was growing up. But oh how that has changed for the better!!
Back when I was watching football, there was never any female voices that could be heard. It’s incredible to see how far sport has progressed in having female voices being heard and respected. I am so privileged now to be surrounded by incredible role models that look like me (female).
Daisy Pearce is the first one that comes to mind when I think about who I look up to in a commentating aspect. Fox Sports’ Sarah Jones, although not doing commentary, is someone I admire a lot. She has worked so hard in a male dominated industry and is a pioneer in the world off the field in advancing for women.
What did you enjoy most about the media graduate program with Fox Sports?
Honestly there was nothing that I didn’t enjoy. I love my football and being in an organisation that was all about football, was a dream. I loved being able to look over the shoulder of anyone and shadow them, no matter what title they had. The culture at Fox Sports was something that I had never experienced before in an office working environment.
Is there anything you’ve learned from the sporting field that has helped you in the office and studio?
Teamwork is a massive one, and something that I’ve learnt on the field is that sometimes you’ll have to do extras that aren’t a part of the job description, but you need to show up for your teammates. And it’s exactly like in the office, sometimes you going to have to do a little extra to help someone out. At the end of the day no matter the title, we are all a team trying to achieve the same goal. Whether that’s on the field or off it.
What are you most excited about in terms of Season 7 of AFLW?
Having a complete competition with 18 teams is THE most exciting thing. It just shows the progression of the game, and I can’t wait for some of the match ups to be had, because rich rivalries can now be formed in their own sense.
What do you enjoy most about commentating and producing?
I am a lover of the game, and enjoy the analytics side of football. But I also love that I can give insider knowledge into the game of AFLW, because it is such a different product to the men’s. So I can provide perspective being a player commentating on the game. Sport is also entertainment and I love being able to come up with a storyline that hypes up the match and makes a viewer get on the edge of the seat for the game. Being able to make people excited about the game as much as I am, is a privilege.
AFLW season seven begins on Fox Footy (on Foxtel and Kayo) on Thursday, August 25
Want to see more incredible women in sport?
The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 will feature the world’s top 12 women’s national teams, with 38 games to be played across 10 days from September 22 – October 1, 2022 in Sydney, Australia.
