“There’s no one in my life that is as hard on me as myself. For so long, it’s been me roadblocking myself from getting further.” Nicki Flannery is a perfectionist, but in slowly easing the pressure she puts on herself, she’s gained a new perspective. “I just love playing. If I think about too much, that’s not when I play well. I just need to be in the moment.” 

Sitting outside sipping on her coffee - a magic, her go-to in Melbourne - Nicki speaks candidly about her ambitions. “I want to be in that bloody camp,” she laughs. A dreaded ACL tear during a Matildas talent ID camp in 2021 was a cruel blow, and she knows she might’ve already had a chance with the national team otherwise. “I haven’t hit my peak yet… hopefully soon,” Nicki smiles.

She’s determined to challenge herself to achieve that goal, and for Nicki, that might mean a new environment - should the opportunity arise. England is the “crème de la crème”, but she would prioritise playing time in any potential moves abroad. After all, Nicki just loves to play. “It’s scary, but I’m trying to tell myself what if it’s really amazing?”

Whilst pushing herself to see how far she can get with football is the priority right now, Nicki has planned for life after football. With an undergraduate degree in architecture, she’ll hold off on completing her Masters until football slows down. As the daughter of a landscape architecture, it was easy for her to fall into. “I watched her drawing plans, I made lego houses, and in The Sims I built houses but the people always died, so I thought maybe I’m more interested in the houses.” 

Nicki’s architectural ambitions are a perfect match for her artistic ability. She found solace in creating artwork during the Covid lockdown, as well as during her knee recovery. “I keep changing what I do, which is fun. I’ve barely been painting lately so I need to get back to that, because it keeps my head straight.” 

The blend of architecture - where perfection is paramount - with the freedom of art, can be difficult for this self-professed perfectionist. “You know how art is beautiful when it’s imperfect? I’m like no, no, no. It has to look neat and beautiful. I’m trying to let it go,” she insists. 

Having made her A-League debut as a 16 year old, the vast majority of Nicki’s career has been spent at Canberra United. “I have had the privilege of playing for my hometown club for 8 years now. This season has been tough and grueling, a year of serious growth for some players and I hope we all get the opportunity to build on that in the years to come.” One person Nicki cherishes playing alongside at Canberra is close friend Michelle Heyman. The pair have developed one of the strongest attacking partnerships in the league. “We work so well together. I don’t even have to look, I know she’s going to be there.”

From one coffee with Nicki, it becomes clear that as much as she loves football, there’s much more to her life. “I know I’m just going to be fine once I do my Masters and get accredited - that’s the rest of my life. I feel really lucky, because I see a lot of people that are very lost.” For now, she’ll chase her dream on the pitch, acknowledging the time pressure that comes with being an athlete. “I want to see how far I can get with football first, and I’ll go from there.”

Words and photos by Rachel Bach.