After retiring from netball last year following a devastating knee injury, former Silver Fern Jodi Brown thought she might enjoy a slightly slower pace of life. But no, as she revealed to
the Weekly, there was a surprise pregnancy – with the gorgeous athlete welcoming her third child, Jimmy, at the end of 2016.
Still, Dunedin-based Jodi says keeping things interesting is one of her best talents; so much so, she’s embarked on an entirely new – and terrifying – career at the other end of the country.
“Ah, you know me. I like to make my life as complicated and challenging as possible!” Jodi tells with a grin.
Her first time away from baby Jimmy was a tough one for the mum-of-three.
The former shooter is a couple of weeks into her new gig as co-host of Sky Sport’s Netball Zone, a half-hour weekly show that is dedicated to all things netball, alongside broadcaster Jordan Vandermade.
For Jodi, who has never fronted a TV show before, the experience so far has been awesome, scary, liberating and exhilarating all at the same time.
“I actually didn’t think it would happen,” she says, shaking her head. “When they asked me, I just said, ‘Yup, totally, I’d love to. I’m in!’ But then, with the show being shot in Auckland and me living in Dunedin, I just thought it might be a no-go. And then the call came to say we were actually all go and I kind of had a wee freak-out moment! I thought, ‘Man, I’m going to have to be very organised!
“But I’m pretty stoked. It’s not often an opportunity like this comes about, and it was very much about grabbing it and making it work.”
Experienced broadcaster Jordan was happy to show Jodi the ropes.
And that’s exactly what Jodi has been doing, though she does admit the first trip away from six-month-old Jimmy and her two daughters Kiana (8) and Aria (6) was a little tricky.
“There were a few tears in the car on the way to the airport,” she confides.
“It was my first time away from him, so there were a few nerves around that, I guess. Babies are so dependent on their mothers and I’m still breastfeeding, so there was a lot of chanting, ‘He’ll be okay!’, which he obviously was. I mean, I was away less than 24 hours and I was worried he might forget me…” tells Jodi.
“I’ve dramatised this to the max! But he’s a really chilled-out, awesome baby, so of course he was fine.”
However, once she arrived in Auckland – and was assured wee Jimmy was all good – Jodi faced other challenges, such as live television.
“You have to think in the moment,” she says.
“It’s scary because you have to get the words out, and sound intelligent and knowledgeable without stuffing it up! But I’m really lucky, Jordan’s an amazing co-host – I think it’s 14 years that he’s been involved in TV – so he took my hand and guided me through it. It was so fun in the end.”
But Jodi says her first show was tinged with a little sadness as she remembered her late friend, former Silver Fern and broadcaster Tania Dalton, also set to feature in Sky’s netball coverage this year.
“When I said yes to the gig, Tarns was with us,” she says. “One thing I’ve learnt from Tarns through the years, both in terms of playing and being a good friend, is that you just have to be yourself. I guess after everything that’s happened, that’s one thing that really stands out to me.
“Sometimes I get really nervous, and I’ll try and use these big words – which aren’t very me – and then it’s like this lightbulb comes on and a voice in my head goes, ‘Tarns wouldn’t have done that.’ I was really looking forward to being a part of all this with her.
“But she’s still there, which is cool. I feel very privileged to be doing this.”
Jodi’s dear friend Tania Dalton was set to be involved in Sky’s coverage before her passing in March.
Alongside her hosting duties, Jodi is commentating games for the new ANZ Premiership, after first getting behind the microphone in the Beko Netball League, the grade below the top teams.
“I’ve moved up to the big girls’ league now!” Jodi grins. “Commentating intelligently and appropriately – and with the right language! – is tough.”
Putting your face and your opinions on the telly can be difficult, but Jodi says she’s ready for the inevitable criticism. After all, you can’t please everyone.
“I just have confidence in what I see and my knowledge of the game,” she shrugs. “You’ve got to be confident about that to put it out there. Obviously, when you do that, you open yourself up to people’s opinions. That’s fine.”
Jodi in action on the court.
And the new gig came at a good time, Jodi concedes, despite the geographical and newborn challenges that come with it. In fact, it does feel like a new chapter in her life – though Kiana and Aria would still prefer it if their mum was still playing.
“They thought I was back playing because I was heading out to catch flights,” the proud mum explains. “And do you know what, I actually thought they’d be quite into it, so my husband Markham taped it for them and they had no interest at all. It’s just Mum talking, I guess – they see that every day, especially when I’m grumpy and yelling at them.”
It was also time to give back to the sport that’s given her so much, she adds.
“Last year, I really wanted to take a breath for a moment. But I always knew I wanted to be involved with netball somehow – it was my life for 18 years. I just didn’t know what or how and then hosting Netball Zone came along.”
“Plus,” she adds with a grin, “I get a night away from my kids every week, which means a full night’s sleep! But seriously, I’m doing what I love for a living. You can’t get much better than that.”
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