While Shane Smeltz still remains one of Australia's most in-demand strikers, it hasn't been an easy road and he stays grounded because of what it took to get him where he is.
 
"Coming through the ranks was difficult for me - I had to earn my place and I haven't forgotten it," he said. "Often players today are put on a pedestal from a young age and you notice it in their attitudes.
 
"The lows for me have made the highs feel so great and I always remind myself to never get too comfortable.
 
"One day the beautiful rollercoaster of football will end, so we have started planning"
 
Take it from experience - while most days you appreciate the great gift of being part of a sporting family, there are others where the erratic hours can get to you - as a partner, as a mother, as a family.
 
A more "normal "job would mean you could give birth whenever your child felt like entering the world, you could plan birthday's and holidays, and you could get mortgages within your means knowing that your income will probably not significantly change in a few years.  

And while Shane and Nikki know that while things are pretty cruisey now, they are well aware it's not forever.
 
"I'm doing my B-Licence now because football is at the moment the most important thing to me professionally and I'd love to be involved in other capacities down the track," added Shane. "But as a family, we also have plans for the future."
 
The family could soon move into the property market too, with Shane's family remaining on the Gold Coast while he plays in Perth.
 
"I have always loved real estate," said Nikki. "We have bought and sold our own properties, loved investing and selling. We want to inject freshness in the industry - give it a more modern vibe.
 
"And we both thought now would be a great time to complete our licences and start a business on the Gold Coast.
 
"I have decided to stay on the Gold Coast with the girls. It was a long and arduous decision - literally months of changing my mind every day.
 
"But it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Both the girls are in school now and I felt it was time to do something for myself and my family.
 
"I had been Mrs Smeltz for so long, I had been in and out of university five times but the constant re-locating just wasn't giving me enough stability to do something on my own.
 
"I finally feel like I am at a place where I can put my energies into a business - and real estate is a great game.
 
"I always told Shane that one day he would score at the World Cup.
 
"And he would say to me 'Yeah right, Nik, whatever.' And I remember when I watched him score that goal, I immediately burst into tears and thought I cannot wait to get him on the phone to tell him "I told you so!"
 
Shane added: "She did. She was always my biggest supporter. She always believed in me. If anyone came to the crossroads when it got a bit hard, it was me."
 
And what did that goal mean to him?
 
"Obviously its every footballers dream to score at the World Cup - for me, it was the icing on the cake. Without question, my career highlight, an unforgettable experience."
 
And they got there, as Team Smeltz.