In 1971 Gieschen captained the State Championship winning La Trobe Valley Schoolboys team and was also named the Victorian Captain and All Australian vice captain in the U16's. He played 150 games in the Latrobe Valley Football League with the Maffra Football club during which time he collected three player of the year awards, two league best and fairest awards and seven Club Best and Fairest awards. He represented the LVFL in inter-league games 15 times between 1973 and 1984 and was captain of the LVFL side in 1981. He was selected in the Victorian Country side to play the ACT in 1980. In the Ovens and Murray League he won Wodonga's Best and Fairest award in 1986, his only year as a player at that club.
Coaching career
Gieschen coached the Maffra Football Club in 1979, 1980 and 1982. He coached Wodonga from 1986 to 1991 for two premierships and was awarded Regional Coach of the Year in 1990. During his six years at Wodonga the club won five Ovens and Murray League club championships based on the combined results of the Senior, Reserve and Third grade teams.. He coached West Perthfrom 1992to 1994 which included a grand final loss to Claremontin 1993, during which season he was awarded the JJ Leonard Medal for West Australian Coach of the Year Award.. In 1995and 1996 he was assistant coach for the Geelong Football club which included a grand final appearance in the former season. In 1997 he became coach of the reserves team at Richmond and took that side from the wooden spoon to Premiership winners. After a string of disappointing results by the Richmond senior team under the previous coach, Gieschen was appointed senior coach from late in the 1997 season. He held the position until the end of 1999. Gieschen’s winning percentage as a senior AFL coach finished at 52 percent.
Gieschen served as the Umpires' National Umpire Manager Australian Football League for 14 years, until his resignation which took effect on 28 November 2013. Gieschen has been acknowledged by the AFL as "...the longest serving umpire coach/manager combination in the history of the AFL. They have overseen a period of great improvement in the professionalism and advancement of umpiring programs and the outstanding performance of umpires and officials in Finals and Grand Finals." In his 14 years of managing the AFL's umpires Gieschen implemented a range of reforms which have included: stricter enforcement of the AFL's "abuse to umpires" policy; abolition of the white uniform as part of a conscious effort to eradicate the "white maggot" label previously applied to umpires; objective performance management criteria to ensure accurate ranking and appointment of umpires; introduced a DVD overviewing umpiring/laws of the game for umpires, clubs, media and fans; successfully recommended the implementation of taller goalposts to improve scoring accuracy; oversaw the introduction of the "score review system"; four boundary umpires to enable boundary umpires to keep up with the game; standardised fitness testing for umpires; player to umpire career pathway to encourage former players to take up umpiring roles; and the appointment of Chelsea Roffey, the first female umpire appointed to a final, including a grand final. Following his departure from the AFL, Gieschen plans to launch a sport consultancy business.
