As the full-time whistle blew at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday evening, the Newcastle Jets emerged with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Canberra United, but for Jets captain Gema Simon, the whistle signified more than just another three points, it signified that all her hard work had paid off.

The match against Canberra was just the sixth time Simon had completed 90 minutes in nearly 14 months and capped off an incredible week for the Hunter Sports High alumni, after she represented her country against Chile at the same venue just four days earlier.

"It was awesome. Just to have my friends and family be able to see me play for my country, let alone play for my country in my hometown was pretty special, I definitely didn’t think it was going to happen," she said.

"And then backing up for Newcastle, to wear both jerseys in the same week was really special, and to get the win in both games just kind of tops it all off and has made it all worth it".

All Smiles in Newcastle!

Still just 28-years-old, Simon has made over 100 appearances for her hometown side and has also enjoyed time abroad in Canada, Korea and Norway. Throughout her career, she has struggled at times with niggling injuries but admits the last 12 months have been harder than most.

"Every other year I was like 'I don’t care, I just want to play football'. My motivation outweighed anything else and I’ve always been really good with my body," Simon said.

“But this year definitely was pretty hard. I came back a little bit earlier to play W-League last year because I just wanted to play. It had been a rough couple of months, I just got through that on one leg and then had surgery two weeks after the season finished. Then my rehab took a couple of months longer than they first thought, I had a few complications with it".

It was during this period, as Simon faced another lengthy spell on the sidelines, that she even briefly entertained the idea of giving away the game for good.

“I was like ‘I'm happy with what I've done with my career', considering what I've had to go through to get to where I got to.”

"I still have pain every single day, some days it flares up and it’s pretty sore. Before I signed with Newcastle I considered not playing at all, I considered potentially retiring, but I was like well, let's just get through this and see how it is. I think I would’ve regretted it if I didn’t continue to play this season."

After making her debut for the Jets as an 18-year-old in their first ever W-League game just over a decade ago, Simon has featured in every season of the W-League since. Aside from one season in Melbourne, her name has been synonymous with her hometown club, and she has witnessed a wide array of changes at the Jets during this time.

"In Newcastle, it’s become a lot more professional. Our facilities are a lot better, the club is one club now, run under the same banner as the men and the youth, which is awesome because Newcastle is such a small town, it’s a really nice feeling to be under the one banner and it really feels like that too. We have everything in place to perform, take away money, and we pretty much have everything the men are getting".

Simon captains the Jets against Canberra

And while the league has taken massive strides forward in regard to player payments in recent seasons, Simon confesses that in the early days, she played for little more than the love of the game.

"I think I’ve played two or three years for nothing [when the W-League began] and maybe two other years for about $1,000 for the season. I’ve always had to work to make ends meet while playing football, but at the end of the day you do what you have to do to do what you love".

Simon currently juggles football with her work as a teacher's aide, and whilst her current employers have always accommodated her football pursuits, this has not always been the case as she chased her footballing dreams.

“We still have to work and play football to make ends meet, that’s for sure. It’s hard combining the two. It's definitely hard to find work that is accommodating with your football schedule."

"Now that the PFA has got some stuff in place that supports the players, it’s a lot easier, but I wouldn’t say it’s where it needs to be just yet, but it’s definitely well on its way."

Having learnt many lessons throughout her football journey to date, perhaps Simon’s greatest lesson is that sometimes you just need to remember why you started playing football in the beginning; for the love of the game.

"I've definitely learnt over the years that you can't control everything, and you never know what's going to happen.

“Having that mindset and just playing football because I love it, because I want to do it and because I enjoy it, I think that has definitely changed how I play football".

Gema Simon and her Newcastle Jets take on Western Sydney Wanderers this Saturday at Marconi Stadium, 7:30pm kick-off.