Darcy Moloney hated football.

Or at least she pretended she did. Growing up in Colac, situated in the Western District of Victoria about an hour’s drive from Geelong, there wasn’t a lot of options for a young girl to play football. Outside of Auskick, anyway. But after that, nothing. And to cover up how disappointed she was that she couldn’t play the game she desperately wanted to play, she feigned a kind of hostility to the game.

But inside, she desperately wanted in.

“There wasn't much football in Colac besides Auskick but I got a bit old for that, so I didn't play for a long time,” she told the Catteboxes podcast on the eve of her 25th game this weekend, 

“I used to pretend I hated footy because I was just so sad that I couldn't play.”

It’s not an uncommon story throughout the AFLW ranks, and as you do Moloney tried her hand at a few different sports, but nothing hit the spot quite like kicking around the red Sherrin. 

“I couldn't really find the sport I loved,” she said. “Netball, basketball, tennis but nothing really stuck with me until football but it all worked out in the end.”

Fresh off a career high 17 disposals against the Swans last weekend on the back of spell in the midfield after teammate Georgie Presparkis rolled her ankle, Moloney will line up at GMHBA Stadium this Saturday night against North Melbourne in the Cats’ first finals appearance since 2019. Yeah, you could say it’s working out just fine. 

But the gap, and the angst in caused, was real and is still fresh, but once she could pull on the boots in year 10 at school, it happened quickly. 

“From there I started playing with the Colac Imps and then it was a really fast journey. I got picked up by the Geelong Falcons and then made it into Vic Country Academy and then drafted the next year.”  

That year was 2020 when she was taken with the 10th pick in the draft and hasn’t looked back since.

It all happened so quickly for the 19 year old that it was teammate Georgia Clarke’s Dad that told her that the milestone was even a possibility for her this season. .

“I didn't even know I'd hit it this year until GC's Dad told me I would if I played every game plus a final,” Moloney said.

“I never would have imagined when I was young kicking the footy in the backyard with my Dad that I'd ever be able to play AFL football as a profession, so coming into this week I'm super proud of it and I hope it's just the start of a long journey.”