Emily Gielnik “truly” believes she belongs in the CommBank Matildas setup as the Melbourne Victory star eyes an international return with a strong 2024-25 Ninja A-League Finals Series.
Gielnik and Victory will watch from the sidelines during the first week of the finals after finishing second behind rivals Melbourne City, with the Championship contenders awaiting one of the winners from the two Elimination Finals.
The 60-time Australia international ended her 785-day wait for a Matildas appearance in December, however the 32-year-old has not been involved in the most recent international windows in 2025 despite ending the Ninja A-League regular season with 12 goals.
“It’s no secret … I still truly believe I can be back there and that I belong there, and I’ll keep proving that to myself week after week,” Gielnik told reporters.
“Being a part of finals, it’s another opportunity for coaches to see your potential and see how well you’re playing.”
Gielnik has been with Victory since 2023 in her second stint with the Melbourne club but the veteran striker’s future beyond this season is still up in the air.
One thing for sure is Gielnik will not be seeking the opinion of the next Matildas coach – tipped to be A-Leagues great and current Lyon Women boss Joe Montemurro.
“That’s a dangerous game, because I think sometimes if you do too much of what another coach wants you to do, you’ll play less like yourself, and there’s just too much of that unnecessary expectation and pressure,” she said.
“I’ve done that in the past, been a people pleaser, and done what I thought coaches want me to do. and it’s backfired for me.
“I’ve got to go back to the drawing board, trust my gut, find the right place that’s going to be perfect for me, and just hit the ground running with that.”
One Australia international in action this weekend will be Western United captain Chloe Berryhill.
Berryhill’s Western make the trip to Coopers Stadium for Sunday’s Elimination Final against Adelaide United.
Like Gielnik, injuries have derailed Berryhill’s Matildas career in recent years.
However, she is not using an international return as motivation in the Finals Series.
“National team’s always in the back of your mind. But … it’s not at the forefront of mine,” she said.
“Mine’s to (play) finals, mine’s to play for Western, and whatever happens through there, and if it ends up being in the national team, that’ll be great.”
