Collingwood’s Chloe Molloy wins 2018 AFLW Rising Star award

CHLOE Molloy said she had nothing to lose when Collingwood coaches sent the star junior forward into defence. The move was vindicated when she was named AFLW Rising Star.

Rising Star winner Chloe Molloy.

CHLOE Molloy entered the season nervous and left it the Rising Star.

The Collingwood young gun was on Tuesday night recognised as the best emerging player in the competition — and topped off the night by finishing second in the league best-and-fairest.

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The 19-year-old was drafted with Collingwood’s top pick at last year’s draft as a forward but was shifted into the backline by coach Wayne Siekman, with the move validated when Molloy was awarded the highest possible number of votes to claim the award.

“I was a little bit nervous coming in (to the season), but the coaching staff did a really good thing by me by putting me in that backline, where I hadn’t ever played, so there was really nothing to lose,” she said.

“It was just, ‘Go out there, give it a crack and if you’re any good, we might leave you down there’. Which happened to be the case. But I’ve set the bar high and I hope that I continue to push that and that the people behind me can also push that bar higher.”

A move to the backline worked wonders for Chloe Molloy.

Molloy was the leading goalkicker in the TAC Girls competition last year and said playing in defence was something she originally was a little unsure of.

It worked.

“To be put back there, you’ve kind of got to take it as a compliment — we needed someone down there … we’d lost a few backs due to injury and Wayne and the coaches believed in me to go back there,” Molloy said.

“To top it off with this is pretty special.”

Molloy will now play in Collingwood’s VFLW outfit but also focus on her university studies.

She also won $20,000 from NAB as part of her prize, and said she might take her mum out for breakfast “and actually pay for once ... and not ‘forget my purse’”.

Rising Star winner Chloe Molloy accepts her award.

Molloy finished ahead of Bulldog Monique Conti with Adelaide’s Sarah Allan third and Western Bulldog Bonnie Toogood fourth.

She also earned All-Australian selection.

Molloy said the significance of being part of AFLW as it continued to grow was not lost on her.

“An individual is made greater by their surroundings and the athletes they play against,” she said.

“It’s amazing to play a part ... and in history, as well. I’m excited for next season and the seasons to come. We’re getting bigger, better and stronger.”