Words: Michael Flynn, Football Queensland
Image: Brisbane Roar/Brian Monro

Matildas and Brisbane Roar W-League star Emily Gielnik is making the most of her opportunities in NPL Queensland both as a player and part of the Redlands United coaching team.

In addition to her 15 appearances for Roar’s W-League outfit, who compete in the NPL Queensland Boys Under 15 division, Gielnik is serving as strength and conditioning coach at Redlands United.

If that wasn’t enough workload, Gielnik continues to run a successful personal training business, ShredEm Fitness, but the 22-year-old says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s taken off and I started with absolutely nothing to be honest. I started with friends and family and now I have heaps of people through word of mouth,” Gielnik said.

“I’d probably be making a decent wage if I didn’t play football, but I love it so I can’t give that up,” she joked.

Gielnik is set to embark on her fourth season of W-League this year, and while she has plenty of years ahead of her as a player she wants to remain involved in the game as long as possible.

She said she saw a coaching pathway through NPL Queensland and Redlands United, where she played as a junior from the age of 12.

“I think if I had more time I would like to do my coaching licenses and go further,” she said.

“I would love to stay with the Redlands club and working possibly as a technical director or working on strength and conditioning from the development stage onwards right to the top.”

Roar’s W-League side have struggled for results in the Under 15 Boys division, sitting in tenth position due in part to the absence of many of Gielnik’s Matilda’s teammates currently playing overseas including captain Clare Polkinghorne.

However, Gielnik says the NPL Queensland campaign has prepared the team’s next generation of stars well for the W-League season starting this September.

“We’ve got a lot of young girls that we have been recruiting this season. Heaps of the young girls have stepped up because the older girls have been away and they have been outstanding but we still struggle because we haven’t got the experience.”

“Physically we can handle them, but the one thing that kills us is speed. But it works for us because we have to be smarter and try and match it,” she explained.

“It will make a difference (for the W-League season), although it’s unfortunate that some our key players are still playing overseas and won’t come back until a week before the season,” she added.

In addition to her NPL commitments, Gielnik is also coach of the Red Devil’s South East Queensland Women’s League side, who currently sit fourth.

She said that further embracing women’s football will be fundamental to the continued growth of NPL Queensland clubs and the league.

“I think it will make for a much stronger league and atmosphere if they have women as a curtain-raiser,” Gielnik said.

“I think men’s football is great because I work with them, but it would be much more effective and family-like if men’s and women’s football are more together.”

Brisbane Roar W-League face Redlands United tonight at Cleveland Showgrounds. Kick-off is scheduled for 6PM.