Melbourne Vixens captain Kate Moloney on Simone McKinnis’ exit, her own playing future and Diamonds’ World Cup goals

Melbourne Vixens captain, Kate Moloney says her team has extra motivation to finish the Super Netball season strongly following the retirement of long-time coach Simone McKinnis.

Captain Kate Moloney has declared the Melbourne Vixens owe it to long-time coach Simone McKinnis to send her out on a high this year as she pledged her own future to the club and outlined her Diamonds’ home World Cup ambitions.

McKinnis dropped a mid-season bombshell when she announced she would step down as Vixens’ head coach at the end of the season after 13 years in the role.

Moloney has played her whole career under McKinnis at the Vixens since making her debut at the club in 2013.

The midcourt star admitted the coaching news “definitely shocked some of the girls”, but said the Vixens were determined to deliver for McKinnis in her final season with a title charge.

“If that’s not motivation enough, then what is?,” Moloney said.

“Simone is someone who has given her whole life to this club …. for the past 13 years.

“(She has) put so much time and effort into us as players and we owe it to Simone to go out there and play some really good netball.

“We owe it to Simone, but we owe it to ourselves and to our club as well.

“We are trying to look at the bigger picture - we set out this season wanting to play finals, we wanted to be there right at the end and that hasn’t changed for us.

“Now we know the news of Simone that just adds a bit of extra motivation that’s for sure.”

Simone McKinnis is presented with flowers by Kate Moloney after coaching her 200th game on May 11, 2025. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

A two-time premiership coach at the Vixens, McKinnis steered the team to the 2014 and 2020 titles; minor premierships in 2017, 2020 and 2022, while they were also runners-up in the 2022 and 2024 Super Netball grand finals.

Moloney, the Vixens’ long-time and passionate on-court leader, said she had McKinnis to thank for the player and person she had become.

“I have been extremely lucky to be coached by Simone for 13 years,” Moloney said.

“She has taught me everything that I know about playing netball at the top level.

“I speak about how she really drives the standards amongst our group, but she has so much care for our athletes. She has really helped me become the person and the player that I am and I have a lot to thank Simone for.”

While there will be a fresh direction at the Vixens next year with a new head coach - and the potential for personnel change - Moloney remained committed to the club.

Captain Kate Moloney has played all her career under coach Simone McKinnis at the Vixens . Photo by Michael Klein

“Look, I would love to be at the Vixens again next year. I haven’t officially signed any contracts but I want to keep playing really good netball,” said Moloney, who has either captained or co-captained the side since 2017.

“I want to keep doing my job for this club and as I’ve always said, I love the Melbourne Vixens and I want to do whatever I can for the club.

“So, hopefully I will be playing for the Vixens next year.”

Now 32, Moloney felt she was still at the top of her game and wanted to push for a place in the Diamonds’ World Cup team on home soil in Sydney in 2027.

“Look, I can’t think that far ahead but I would love to be there,” Moloney said.

“I don’t know what is going to happen over the next couple of years. If I am playing good netball and I’m enjoying it, I want to keep playing.

Kate Moloney in action for the Melbourne Vixens. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

“Hopefully that means that I’m still playing well for the Vixens and I’m still playing well for the Diamonds.

“But it’s a long time between now and then so we’ll have to wait and see.

“It’s crazy to think that I have been at the Vixens for so long, but my body feels as good as it has ever felt and hopefully I can keep improving, keep playing some good netball and keep helping the players around me.”

Moloney’s immediate assignment, however, is maintaining bragging rights over cross-town rivals the Melbourne Mavericks as last year’s runners-up launch an assault on the top four.

“As soon as they came into the competition they really stood for something and they wanted to really make their mark in netball here in Victoria and I think it has been really exciting to watch that rivalry grow,” Moloney said.

“We have been on the better end of the results so far and hopefully we can keep that going this year.

Kate Moloney in action for the Diamonds. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

“We know that they can play some great netball and we know when they come up against us they want to beat us, so we know it’s going to be tough.

“(The top four) is going to be so competitive and that is something that we never lost sight of.

“Yes, we have had a few bumps along the way, but we honestly believe that we have got the ability to get to that final four and then you never know what is going to happen.”

ENDS

Originally published as Melbourne Vixens captain Kate Moloney on Simone McKinnis’ exit, her own playing future and Diamonds’ World Cup goals