By Kieran Yap 24/1/24
Above: Daniela Galic and Caitlin Karic celebrate a goal for Melbourne City Photo: Melbourne City
Melbourne City attacker Daniela Galic spoke to Impetus71 about growing up in football, Young Matildas hopes and the quality at City.
Round 11 bore witness to one of the best individual displays the A-League Women has seen this season. In just one half of football Melbourne City’s Daniela Galic had scored three times, and set up one to give her side a 4-0 lead. But the numbers, remarkable as they are do not do her justice. Instead of a sideline reporter, media outlets should have sent a poet.
For her first goal, she cut past Ella Tokin to curl the ball home with force, her second was a tap in after a determined run from deep, and her third was a side footed finish after getting one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Between her brace and her hatrick she found time to deliver a perfect left footed cross for Kaitlyn Toprey to finish.
That day was one of her most complete games, but for those who have watched Galic since she joined the A-League Women last season, it felt inevitable. She made an impact in a new-look Melbourne City team last season, scoring twice from a central midfield role including a terrific volley, but it was her ability to perform consistently that stood out to most observers.
Daniela Galic is fast, balanced, has a deadly change of direction, impressive vision and the ability to use either foot to equal effect.
She has football instincts beyond her years, and can create opportunities out of seemingly nothing. A recent goal for The Young Matildas in China saw her intercept the opposition pass, slalom between two defenders and slot past the goalkeeper in a move that was simultaneously lighting quick but also completely unhurried.
If it sometimes feels like Galic was born to play the game, that is not far from the truth.
She has been in football as long as she can remember. Both of her parents played for the Lidcomb Waratahs in Sydney, and Galic would spend weekends watching her father and mother play before joining the club herself were she stayed until the age of seven.
“Growing up I was a big fan of Messi,” Galic told Impetus Football about how her eye catching style developed,
“But also my mum and dad played so I was watching my dad on a Saturday and my mum on a Sunday. Spending most of my weekends in the park, I probably learned most of my tricks from there.
“Playing soccer in the park with my family, that’s probably where I learned creativity and skills.”
She appears to combine the talents of both parents, at least positionally. Now 17 years old, Galic roams the midfield for the Young Matildas while for Melbourne City she is often found in the attacking third.
“They’re pretty equal,” she says of her parents abilities.
“My dad was a striker, my mum was a midfielder, they had very different games.”
“I used to go to the A-league when I was younger. I was a Western Sydney supporter, so I used to watch them (too), but a lot of my memories are just from watching my parents.”
Although it is her goals that make headlines, Galic first came to wide attention in the centre of the pitch. When The Young Matildas played Costa Rica in the 2022 Under 20 World Cup, Galic used her array of skills and tricks to torment the home side in front of over 30,000 fans and win player of the match.
At just 16, she was one of the youngest players in the tournament, but looked ready for the occasion despite the fact that Australia’s inclusion was a surprise in itself.
“I remember when Leah (Blayney) first told us all, I had no clue if I was going to go or not. I was at school when she told us all, it was pretty exciting, obviously I had that goal to be there.
“Finding out I was going I was very happy. It was a proud moment for me and my family.
“Just being there in Costa Rica was just a great experience. It was so professional, what you see on TV, what you see in World Cups… to be there amongst it was really special.”
Despite being subjected to a parochial crowd of Costa Ricans, and conceding a first half goal, the Young Matildas rallied to win 3-1 with a varied but relentless attacking display.
“They were pretty loud,” she says of the crowd.
“But they were speaking Spanish so we didn’t really know what they were saying, which helped.
“I really enjoyed it. It was the first time playing in that sort of crowd and I haven’t played in anything like that since so it was definitely unforgettable.
“We didn’t let it phase us, we still won.
“I think the whole experience at the World Cup, showed that there was more than just Australian football (to learn.) There was more than what we see and play and how differently we have to play against some teams. Obviously it was a lot faster, and I think that has helped me (back here.)”
Young players often take some time to adjust to the speed of the professional game. But following her World Cup adventure, Galic looked immediately at home in the A-League Women. She made 17 appearances for Melbourne City in her debut season and the club finished third on the table.
Her coach has helped with that. Like Galic, City manager Dario Vidosic was an attacking midfielder in his playing days, and she says that has been influential in improving her game.
“I think he definitively has helped, spending time with me, watching clips back, what he says in training, not just to me but the whole team. We know what experience he has.”
City currently sit on top of the table, seven points clear of second place and are started to score more freely. Emina Ekic’s arrival has added more firepower to an already enviable attack, and the multiple threats have allowed everybody to flourish in recent weeks.
“We have a real quality team this year. We all work well together and there’s not really one main person, we all bring our own qualities to make a really good squad.”
Galic describes a confidence among the attack, they are not perturbed by missing chances as long as they are attempting them they have confidence that it will be reflected on the scoreboard, “If they don’t go in we keep taking them, if they do it’s a goal,” she says as a matter of fact.
Galic’s form and versatility has naturally resulted in talk of a senior Matildas call up, but the City playmaker is only focussed on the present. There is little doubt that she has the talent but she is in no rush.
“I don’t read into it,” she says of the external hype.
“If I did make it into the squad I’ll be very happy, but I don’t pay it much notice anyway. It (Matildas talk) doesn’t really bother me.”
She has one of the brightest futures in Australian football, but Galic has more immediate concerns, Melbourne City are looking to win some silverware this year, and The Young Matildas have an Asian Cup fast approaching in March.
“We’ve been preparing since last year,” she says of Australia’s Under 20 team.
“We have a really good quad …I’m just excited to experience my first Asian cup and hopefully we can go far into the tournament and win it.”
A strong performance in Uzbekistan could see Galic at her second Under 20 World Cup, a feat that is both remarkable and unsurprising.
But that is further down the line. The immediate future is Melbourne City’s game against Western United, a team that City have not yet beaten, but with Daniela Galic currently on fire, that could be about to change.
Melbourne City play Western United on Thursday at 5pm AEST.
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