Vixens captain Kate Moloney on being a one-club player, Diamonds’ pain and Vixens’ premiership quest
As Kate Moloney chases a third premiership at the Vixens, she opens up on why she never wants to leave, the pain of missing selection for last year’s World Cup, Liz Watson and why this year’s group has the goods to go all the way.
Kate Moloney remembers the feeling she had walking into the Melbourne Vixens for her first training session as a fresh-faced teenager.
The young midcourter with the shock-blonde hair was somewhat apprehensive stepping foot on the training court alongside some of the club’s – and the game’s – biggest names at the time.
“I was extremely scared,” Moloney said.
“I walked in not really knowing many people whereas now you’ve probably been in the fold for a little while before you get a contract.
“Walking in there’s the likes of Bianca (Chatfield), Sharelle (McMahon), Geva (Mentor) and all these people I’d watched on TV.
“I remember just thinking to myself, ‘I don’t care if I ever get on the court. I’m just so excited to be here’.
“It was a dream come true for me and I’m just so grateful that I’ve been able to have the longevity at the club that I have had.”
Now 12 years on, Moloney is the fearless team leader, helping usher in the next generation of Melbourne Vixens players as she targets a third premiership with the club she calls her “second family”.
A proud one-club player, 31-year-old Moloney last year became the first Vixen to play 150 games for the club she never has any intention of leaving.
In fact, the Vixens’ captain said if the club wanted to move her on, she would just as soon retire than play in any other team.
“It’s really special that I’ve had the opportunity to play at the Vixens my whole career,” Moloney said.
“Unless they get rid of me, I don’t want to go and play anywhere else, that’s for sure. And if they do get rid of me then it might be time to retire, too.
“The club means so much to me. They’ve given me so many opportunities. They’ve helped me develop in all areas of my life and I couldn’t see myself playing in any other colours.
“I love wearing the navy blue and going out there and representing the Vixens and Victoria every single week and, hopefully, I don’t have to go anywhere else. I’d love to stay and be a one-club player at the club.
“While I can keep adding to the team playing some good netball and enjoying it, hopefully I can play for as long as I can.”
Moloney doesn’t just wear navy blue, she bleeds it.
There are few other players in Super Netball who typify team as much as the Melbourne Vixens skipper.
The star midcourter’s passion on court is legendary, underlined by her famous rev-ups in the team huddle. It’s hard not to get fired up just watching her.
Moloney said she had never prepared for her rousing team talks, preferring to let the moment guide her message.
“I don’t practise them. I think if I did, I’d probably be more likely to stuff up what I was saying,” Moloney said.
“There’s always lots of comments about it. Usually for me, it’s just sort of reiterating what (coach) Simone (McKinnis) said pre-game and then during the game it’s however the game is feeling for me.
“But whenever I see a mic now I try and give it over to (vice-captain) Emily (Mannix) and let her do it.”
Moloney has now held either the Vixens captaincy or co-captaincy since 2017.
She reverted back to the sole captaincy this season following the departure of her good friend and fellow midcourter Liz Watson to the Sunshine Coast Lightning.
It was the biggest exit to shake the Vixens since midcourt star Madi Browne’s move to then cross-town start-up Collingwood in 2017.
While Moloney could not see herself leaving the Vixens, she did not begrudge her midcourt mate pursuing a fresh opportunity interstate.
“It’s always tough when one of your good friends is going to leave and go somewhere else, but I was also really excited (for her),” Moloney said.
“Anyone that I talk to always speaks about thanking Lizzy for what she did for our club. She did everything she possibly could at the Vixens and this was something that she felt she needed to do for her career and for her life outside of netball.
“I’m really grateful for what she did for our club. She made our club so much stronger for having been there.
“It was tough, but I was also really excited for our girls coming through as well. Not only for someone like Hannah Mundy who would be sitting in the wings kind of waiting, but then you have someone like Zara Walters step up as well this season.
“It’s been sad obviously not having Lizzy, but it has also been amazing to see these young girls step up as well.”
Despite the loss of her long-time wingwoman, Moloney feels like her own game has gone to another level at centre this season.
“My game has had to change with Lizzy leaving a little bit in that attack end, defensively not much changes,” Moloney said.
“My attacking game has definitely changed and I’d like to say that it’s kind of gone to another level this year.
“I think all of us in that attack end have been playing really well together. We’ve got a really good mix of players with our moving circle and Zara and Hannah out the front as well.
“It’s not new but it’s changed slightly in the way that the role that I’ve taken up in that attack end as well and I’m really enjoying that freedom in there.”
The pain of missing Diamonds selection for last year’s Netball World Cup has also been a driving force behind Moloney’s form this season.
After being a part of the Diamonds’ gold-medal winning Commonwealth Games team in Birmingham in 2022, Moloney was named as a reserve last year in Cape Town.
“Missing out on a team always does sting,” Moloney said.
“It’s always tough and that one did hurt a bit. But it does drive you to be better.
“The great thing – and the tough thing – about Australian netball is we’ve got so much depth. We’ve got so many amazing people playing in the world’s best competition here.
“You’ve got to keep improving. I think the second that you plateau, someone’s going to overtake you. Definitely missing out on that team made me realise that you’ve got to go out there and keep working on your craft and getting better.
“I felt over the pre-season I was able to really work on a few different things off the court as well, which have helped get my body in a really good spot for this season.
“I’ve always been able to back my fitness on the court, but I really wanted to put in a really big block of work on my strengths in the gym and pilates and all that sort of stuff off the court.
“Then on the court, just backing myself in my attacking game and knowing that with Lizzy not being there that was going to have to get even stronger again.”
Moloney won a premiership in her second season with the Vixens in 2014 and then again in 2020, but rates the current group as strong as any she has played with before at the club.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have played with some pretty amazing players,” Moloney said.
“I think our attack end is new and it’s fresh and (this group) is right up there with the best teams I’ve played in.
“We have got some girls who have had lots of finals experience and some with not much and I’m excited to see what they can do. We’ve got so much faith in them and the way they have performed this year, they’ve shown they can take it up against anyone.
“When I came into the Vixens, I think my first year we finished second and then second year went on and won the grand final and I thought ‘You know this is pretty easy, we’re going to win heaps of these’.
“It took me another six years to get back there to the grand final in 2020. It is hard, lots of things have to go your way and you don’t want to waste any opportunity that you get.
“I certainly don’t want to waste this opportunity that we have this year and I know as a group we’ll be doing everything we can to make sure that we hopefully are holding up that trophy at the end of the season.”
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