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Stories of Wonder platforms and celebrates the real impact Deakin students, alumni, researchers and staff are making in the world, right now.
Deakin University CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B
Jo Weston is a Melbourne Vixens
and Australian Diamonds netballer..
She's also a leader on and off the court
and a passionate
advocate for the future of women's sport.
Oh, and did we mention
she studies at Deakin?
From championship wins
to negotiating landmark player agreements,
Jo shares how her experiences have shaped
her resilience,
leadership
and drive to create real impact.
From the lands of the Wurundjeri People,
this is Stories of Wonder.
- Jo Weston, welcome
to "Stories of Wonder".
- Thanks for having me, Dom.
- Firstly, congratulations.
(Jo giggling)
You're a literal champion.
- I know.
- A Premiership and MVP
representing the Aus Diamonds once again.
What an incredible 2025 you've had.
- Thank you.
- So the Vixens' 2025
campaign had all the makings
of a fairytale, a retiring coach,
and unexpected run to the finals,
and a visit to the pub with
the Super Netball trophy.
- Indeed.
- What stands out most to you
when you look back on this season?
- Yeah, it has sort of been,
not a fairy tale, but
just sort of unexpected.
I think after we lost the
grand final back in 2024,
it seemed like a missed opportunity.
And then during the season,
we were hot and cold
and when we were cold, we were freezing.
(both laughing)
But when we were hot,
things were going well.
And then during the season,
our coach Simone announced
that she wouldn't be
coaching us next year,
which is sort of,
I think it was kind of sitting
within the playing group
and you could tell that
something wasn't quite right
until she told us.
And I think after that, it
was a bit liberating in a way.
And we really had that
belief throughout the season.
And then when it came into the finals,
it just sort of was on for young and old.
I honestly thought the game
that we played in Sydney when we were down
by 10 goals at three quarter time,
out of the three potential
matches we were gonna kind
of going to come up against in finals,
finishing fourth, doing it the hard way.
I thought the Swifts game
probably would be our easiest game
in inverted commas.
Adelaide has been sort of our voodoo arena
after we lost there numerous times
in the last couple of years.
And as a team, we just
haven't really been able
to gel against them.
And after we won that game, I was like,
"Okay, great, we'll have the Swifts."
We'd beaten them pretty
convincingly twice during the season
and I was like, "Well, okay,
we'll clock that one off
and then we've got the
big challenge ahead."
And then when we sort of
were stumbling at that second
to last hurdle, I was
like, "This cannot be it."
At three quarter time,
everyone keeps asking me like,
"What did Simone say to
you at three quarter time?"
And I probably just,
I don't even recall 'cause
at that point, I was,
- You just decided.
- Well I think
I knew it was possible,
but I'm quite a realist
in that circumstance.
I was like, "Oh, 10 goals down is,
that's a considerable margin."
But I was like, "This cannot be it.
We cannot be, you know, giving
Simone a sendoff that's this,
I don't know, dire and underwhelming."
Really after everything,
she's been the only coach
I've ever had for the Vixens.
And she's had a really
big impact on a lot of us
as players on and off the court.
So I was like, "This cannot be happening."
- Yeah.
- And luckily our shooters,
it was really them and Rudi
who was backing it up
in goalkeeper with me
that just put on a show
and then once the momentum
swung, it's hard to stop.
- Wow.
(Jo laughing)
In those moments where, you know,
and throughout the season as well
where you sort of were
in the cold sort of spell
and it was freezing,
like, what do you do when things
don't go according to plan?
Like, you spoke, you know,
of the grand final there,
but like, what are the
strategies you kind of,
like, how do you get
yourself outta that situation
and your team?
- Yeah, I think it is really
challenging in a team sport
and I feel like I have played
a couple of individual sports
when I was younger.
I used to love playing tennis.
And I think in that, you sort
of only really have yourself
to blame in a way.
But in a team sport, there's
lots of moving parts,
there's lots of changes in opposition,
there's a lot of different things
that can happen out on the court.
So I think trying to
find one specific answer
for a multitude of problems is
never gonna be the right way
to try and like, you know,
restructure your training
or change what you're
doing in terms of strategy.
So I think it was a
combination of everything.
I feel like a couple of the girls
are always so positive despite
us probably underperforming
in certain aspects.
And I think that is sort
of infectious in a way.
And you just sort of have to really have
that glass half full mindset about it.
Because I think once you
start going down the track of,
"Oh, it's not gonna happen for us",
well, it's sort of a
self-fulfilling prophecy-
- Yeah.
- In a way.
And yeah, we had some really great wins.
We had some really amazing
individual performances
and I'm really proud of everyone
because, yeah, I thought
in the grand final,
the fever had been, you know,
the pinnacle of the competition
for most of the season so far.
But I thought if the game was close.
we were really in with a shot.
And luckily, we had all
of Rod Laver pretty much cheering us on.
So yeah, it was really incredible.
- Yeah.
Amazing performance.
What did it mean to send your
coach off, Simone, like that?
I mean, you know, you've spoken about,
you know, she's the only
coach you had in the Vixens.
What did it mean, you know, to
give her that kind of finish
and what did it mean to
you personally to sort
of send her off that way and to win?
- It's still sort of surreal.
I feel like I've been very lucky
throughout my playing career.
I've had a lot of success.
I've got to play in a lot of big matches,
some I've lost, some I've won.
I'm not really sure how I'm
going percentage-wise now,
but I just think Simone's
been so influential
with so many people.
She's really had an emphasis
on strong foundation skills
and then also just encouraging
us to be able to grow
and try new things in a
really safe environment
as an athlete, which I
think is really important.
And then also just having an
expectation of excellence.
And I've always really had
high expectations of myself.
So I think having that instilled
in you gives you something
to aim towards and
really pushes you further
than what you think you are capable of.
And yeah, I think it
just gave us a little bit
of an extra edge during the
game when things are tough,
you try not to think
about things like that
because you wanna be focused.
You don't really wanna be
having your mind wandering
towards what could be happening.
But yeah, I think just to have
everyone there in Melbourne
to see how much it meant to her
and, you know, she's had such success
as a player as well as a coach.
So I think to really put
the bow on the parcel
or the present that was us in 2025.
Yeah, at that point I was like,
"Oh, I'm not sure if it really
gets any better than this."
I think that's probably one
of the best matches I've ever played.
And so maybe it's just
recency bias, perhaps.
It probably is, but yeah,
it was truly incredible.
- Yeah.
Amazing.
Well, an amazing run by her as well.
You were born in Corowa, New South Wales,
you spent part of your childhood
on a family property in Eurobin,
in Alpine Victoria before
moving down to Melbourne.
What are your memories of that place
and that period in your life?
- Yes, I know people always claim me
as being a New South
Wales woman, Welsh woman.
I don't really know that they say.
Because Corowa's a border town,
but I was just born there.
We spent a bit of time in Rutherglen,
which is in Victoria,
and then before moving back
to my dad's family's property
in Eurobin and then to Melbourne.
So country Victoria holds a
really big place in my heart.
I think in terms of
where sport contributes
to the community, it's
kind of the lifeblood
in a lot of areas like that.
It's a really great space
when people join towns
and they get the opportunity
to come in when they're young kids
and you know, have a space
where they can learn leadership
or learn communication skills.
And especially for girls being competitive
in what is a really, you
know, contained environment.
And yeah, it's so beautiful
in Country Victoria.
Alpine Victoria especially
has got a really,
you know, fond place in my heart.
The beautiful mountains.
Bright is pretty much popular,
you know, all of the year at this point,
whether it's from winter
or spring or autumn,
especially is really gorgeous
there with all the leaves.
So I think, you know,
we've got so much space across Australia
and I know being out on
the the country is, yeah,
it's something that's very
unique to a few people
and I really just encourage people.
I mean, I love Melbourne.
I probably had the best of both worlds
- Of course, yep.
- And if you wanna pursue sport,
I think being in a metropolitan
area does take a bit
of the driving in and out of it.
- Yeah.
- But yeah, I feel like I always,
I'm the biggest advocate if
you can spend time up there,
contribute to the local
community and the local economy
and just sort of feel that aspect
where you just feel more connected.
I think in the digital
age we're so isolated.
- Yeah.
- And there's something
just a bit slower and kind of,
I don't know, a little
bit shinier about it
and it gives you a chance just to sort
of experience life a bit differently.
- Yeah.
And where's the best vanilla slice
or what are they claiming up there?
Is it the best iced
coffee or the best pie?
- Well, there is a very good vanilla slice
at Harrietville, which is the town
at the base of Mount Hotham.
- Ah.
- So it's only a small one.
We do have quite,
we have our fair share
of Beechworth Bakeries
that are sort of dotted around.
- Of course, yes.
- And they're very infamous.
They've got the bee stings,
but if you're wanting even more local,
that one's quite good.
Or in Euroa.
See, I always stop in Euroa.
That's normally my halfway point
if I'm driving on the Hume.
- Ah, yep.
- And if I go into town,
it's Mawson's Bakery
is also quite good.
There you go.
- There you have it.
- The inside.
(both laughing)
- That'll be in the description.
Well, at some point during
your sort of childhood
and growing up you played
netball, like, just for fun.
(Jo giggling)
But like, this was before starting
to think about it as a career.
So I guess when did you
start thinking about it
as something more than a hobby,
as something that could
actually be something
that you do on that higher level?
- Yeah, I feel like I
can't really pinpoint,
like, one specific moment.
I desperately wanted to be
a professional tennis player
when I was younger.
I loved going to the Australian Open.
I'd sit there and watch every single game
and I'd be there with, like,
my gigantic tennis ball,
which I still have in my mom's garage.
And I'd be there, like,
waiting to, you know,
put it over the edge to get signatures.
So I feel like,
I guess I'm still that sort of person,
but just in a different
role now playing netball.
But I joined a netball team at school
because I liked the
friendship element of it.
I've got two older brothers
and I think netball is a very unique sport
that it's sort of been built
by women for women in a way.
And obviously, we have lots
of men and boys that play now.
But I think for me, coming
from that family dynamic,
it sort of gave me that
sort of like sister aspect
that I didn't really have in,
you know, my immediate family.
And I played all the
way through high school.
Luckily, I'm quite tall,
which does put me in a
little bit of an advantage.
But I had some really amazing
coaches, Lisa Gellard,
who coached me at the
Victorian state team,
Jillian Lee who coached me
in one of my very first,
I guess, like, state level
underage team as well.
So I was sort of played all
the way through high school
and I had quite a bit of
success being a defender.
And then it was only
when I got asked to move
to the Australian Institute
of Sport by Julie Fitzgerald,
who used to be the Giants
netball head coach up
until this year,
I think she saw quite a
bit of potential in me
and it was always sort of,
I'd watch, you know,
the netball on the ABC
on a Sunday followed shortly
by the lawn bowls, of course.
- Of course
- The ultimate sports duo.
(Dom laughing)
I think there might be a
little bit of a crossover
in the target demo
perhaps of the viewership.
And I used to go and watch, you
know, the Melbourne Kestrels
and the Melbourne Phoenix
play very occasionally.
I wasn't really a passionate fan,
but my mom obviously saw
that I was really interested in the sport
and you know, probably had
been talking to the coaches
about whether I could
pursue it at a higher level.
And yeah, it was only really
when I moved to Canberra,
I sort of had that exposure to,
you know, all of these other girls
that had come from across Australia.
And they'd probably been
in quite elite training environments
since they were quite young.
And I probably was coming in
as a bit of a gangly, tall,
uncoordinated, wannabe tennis player,
wannabe, you know, musical
theatre star or dancer
or every other hobby I did under the sun.
- Yeah.
- And I think seeing how,
you know, seriously they
took their training.
- Yeah.
- And they'd already sort
of had that exposure to people
that had sort of been
playing at what was then at,
like, Super Netball back then
when it was across
Australia and New Zealand.
So it was definitely
then where I was like,
"Okay, well, if I'm in the same place
that these people are at
and I've got the same coaching
and the same access in terms of, you know,
physio and the training regime,
that I would really like to,
you know, give it as much as I could
and see how far I could go."
And from there, I really
started setting goals about,
you know, trying to improve
certain aspects of my game.
And then I think, I guess the performance
on the court just followed.
- Wow.
- And I've had a good run
in terms of, you know,
like, there's so many other things
that can go on in life.
You can get injured or you know,
motivation can wax and wane.
But I think for me, you know,
having that access period
where I was just training
and sort of focusing
on that I think is what's been able
to put me in such a good position.
Yeah.
- Yeah.
How old were you around then when you got-
- I think I turned,
I was 17, 18,
so it was, like, just
after I left high school.
- Yeah.
- I turned to my family.
I was like, "I'm gonna move to Canberra."
And they're like, "Okay,
I guess so, have fun."
- Yeah.
- And they sort of like,
for me, education has always
been really important.
I was actually going
to start my undergraduate
degree the same year
and I was going to do a cadetship
at one of the accounting firms.
And then I sort of had
already said yes to that
before deciding I wanted to pursue this
because it just felt like
such a good opportunity.
And I think the coaches
were just so encouraging
and yeah, I'm just
forever grateful for them
for really having that investment in me.
- Yeah, really pointing
you in the right direction.
- Yep.
- Did you still wanna
do tennis at this point?
Like,
what was that decision like?
- No, no, no.
No, no, no.
I'd sort of given up on
that probably my early
years of high school.
Number one, I'm so pale,
I didn't really wanna play
in the sun all summer long.
(both laughing)
- And people came to you
and said, "I don't think this is for you."
- I remember I'd come back from some of,
like, the En Tour Cas
courts and I was so hot.
Like, my face was so red I was blending
into the clay courts.
And I remember standing
outside this distinct memory-
- Like, where is she?
- In the Australian summer.
You know, it was like 30 degrees day.
My mom used to just, like, hose me down
with, like, the cold
hose 'cause I was so hot
after playing tennis for
so many hours in the sun.
And I think, you know,
going from a individual
sport to a team sport,
I think I just really found my feet
in terms of being able to,
like, bounce off other people,
connect with them, work together.
- Yeah.
- And sort of, you know, put our energy
towards a collective goal
and all that sort of stuff.
So I have so much respect for people
that are involved in individual
sports because their mindset
and everything I like in term,
especially like closed
sports skills, you know,
golf and all of those sorts of things.
I just can't believe it.
I still can't believe they do it.
I don't think I've got that
psychological strength.
- Yeah.
- I need the people around me,
which I think really helps.
- Yeah.
When did it become a real job to you?
Like, what were the biggest adjustments
that came with that once,
you know, you were going
through your training
and really it became the thing
that you were doing as a career?
- Yeah, so I ended up being signed
with the Vixens for the 2014 season
and I think my initial rookie contract was
for $13,000 for an entire year.
So it's not a lot of money-
- Yeah.
- To live off at that point.
Yeah, I think I was
still working at the IGA
(both laughing)
up until when I signed
that contract.
- Which one?
- So IGA in Ashburton.
- Okay.
- It's still there.
- Shout out.
- It's my claim to fame.
I did work at the Kmart
Chadstone before that.
- Ah.
At Chadstone?
- At Chadstone, yes.
- One of the big leagues.
- I know, I worked one
of the very first 24
hour Christmas shifts.
- Oh geez.
- Which was a novelty
at the time.
And now it just seems to
be the normal occurrence
that time of year.
- Yeah.
But they didn't make you work 24 hours?
- No, no, no, no.
We were just there for a portion of time.
(Dom laughing)
So I was working a couple
of other part-time jobs,
doing a bit of coaching,
all that sort of stuff.
And then when I signed
the contract in 2014,
I was still at uni and
I think getting paid
to actually train for the first time,
even though it wasn't a
significant amount of money,
I thought that was just
such a big step forward.
I barely took the court in my first year
as well when I was in the Vixens,
but just being at the
training environment,
doing all the travelling,
you know, getting exposure
and being in a team with some
players like Bianca Chatfield
who'd I'd idolised as a kid,
was just such an amazing experience.
And it's sort of,
like, we had a training partner,
Zali come up to me
today, I think she's 23,
she's one of our newest
crew into the Vixens.
She's like, "I've gotta
show you this photo of you
and me when I was 12."
And I think I've got about
eight or seven years on her.
So it's kind of weird how
many other tables have turned,
but I think that's just the
natural passage of time.
- Yeah.
- So my first contract, yeah,
wasn't for a whole lot of money,
so I was still sort of working
part-time alongside that.
And then when I graduated
from my undergraduate
degree in 2015, I took on a,
sorry, I said the word
graduate about three times
in 30 seconds.
- That's all right.
- I took on a graduate
position at Deloitte
in one of their consulting
divisions in 2016.
- And was this all accounting
that you were studying
or was it something-
- It was more finance, sort of
a combination of everything.
When you get chucked
into the Big Four world,
they try and give you
exposure to everything.
I'm not actually a chartered accountant.
I didn't pursue that
'cause I only worked for
Deloitte for a couple of years
and sort of figured out
that it probably wasn't
where I wanted to end up long term.
Now in hindsight,
I think that professional
accreditation probably
would be useful.
Maybe I'd be able to do all
my teammate's tax returns
as a bit of a side hustle,
although then they probably have
to tell me how much they earn
for their Vixens' contract.
- Exactly.
And then you'd have a little-
- Maybe not.
- Yeah.
Might not work.
- Maybe not.
- Yeah.
- So I think having,
I was employed like dual employment,
so for that first,
I worked at Deloitte from 2016 to 2019
alongside obviously travelling
for the Australian Diamonds at this point.
So they were very flexible.
They gave me a lot of leave without pay.
But I was pretty much just every morning,
I'd leave the house at
about like 5:30, six
and I'd go straight to the gym.
And then from gym, I'd go to the office,
and then from office, I'd go to training.
I felt like I was carrying
about 10 bags every single day.
And this was when we were still playing
in New Zealand every second week.
So we'd fly internationally,
then we'd come back.
So I was very grateful for
that initial experience.
And a few of us had other
jobs like Kate Moloney
who is the captain of the Vixens.
She worked at the juvenile prison.
At the same time, she was
playing for the Melbourne Vixens.
So they're kind of like a bit
of polarity I think in our
two forms of employment,
for her especially.
And then it was only in 2019
when I went to the Netball World Cup,
I decided to finally resign
because I'd sort of been phasing
myself out at that point.
I think I was working
one or two days a week.
And obviously, they were very flexible,
but it sort of got to the point
where it reached sort of,
yeah, a tipping point.
- Totally.
- Yeah.
- And it's an amazing insight into,
like, even though you might be, you know,
on the field or on the court
one day, it's not all of you.
This is one sort of gear
and it's not all getting
paid a bajillion dollars to,
you know, like, not all of these sports,
that's not the reality,
even when you are kind of at
one of the highest levels.
- Yeah, and it's my full-time job now.
- Yeah.
- Which I still feel
a little bit uncomfortable
saying to people.
Because I guess when you meet
people for the first time,
often one of the questions
that kind of comes up in the first couple
of minutes is like, "Oh, what do you do?"
And for me, I am very proud of what I do
and I feel like I've worked really hard
for what I've achieved.
But I don't really want it to overshadow,
I guess, my initial
connection with someone.
It's sort of one of those things
that as soon as you bring it up,
people either know the Melbourne Vixens
and I think that's probably
been a really great experience
for me.
Sort of being a part of the team
as the sport has sort of
gained a bigger profile.
I feel like initially
when I would've said that back in 2014,
we probably had a smaller profile,
but I feel like I've seen
a real growth in the sport
and I feel like to have only
played a very small part
in that, has been like a
really cool experience.
But yeah, a lot of us still do a lot
of coaching, community work,
all those sorts of things
which sort of keep us busy
outside of just playing.
What uni did you do
your undergraduate with?
- Yeah, I went to Melbourne,
I did a Bachelor of Commerce there.
- Yeah.
- Majoring in accounting
and finance and now I'm
doing my postgraduate degree
at Deakin University.
So you debuted for the Melbourne Vixens,
as you said, in 2014 at 20 years old.
And then for the Diamonds in 2015.
Now we know there's,
like, a high expectation
upon athletes to be role models
and the advent of social
media has meant that,
you know, public figures are
under more scrutiny than ever.
How have you managed
sort of your resilience
and your mental wellbeing
in that environment?
- I found it not too hard.
I think I feel like as we
were sort of talking about,
I think the rise of the sport
has sort of been gradual
as I've been involved.
- You've kind with it, right?
- Versus sort of
just being plunked into something
that might be in more of a spotlight.
I know a lot of the junior,
like, football players that come through,
I think that can be a bit
of an interesting
landscape to work through.
But it's also just because
social media is also sort of,
I feel like I'm at the right
age where I had a pre-phone,
you know, childhood and then it sort
of came into my later
years of high school,
which I'm very grateful
for I think now given
how omnipresent mobile phones
and social media-
- Isn't it crazy-
- Are in our life.
- To think about?
- Yeah.
- Being in school without some sort
of a mobile-
I know.
- Or having a mobile device
that wasn't, like, a touch screen sort
of connected to the internet.
- I did see someone the
other day walking around
with a flip phone and I was like-
- Oh really?
- I wasn't really sure
if it was performative
or whether it was just what they use,
(both laughing)
maybe a combination of both.
But, you know, I've
tried to use social media
as a way to share, I
guess, my personal journey.
The journey I've been on with a team.
You know, my personal
interests outside of netball.
Whether that is, you know,
trying to work a second job
or my advocacy work with
the players association
or you know, my passion for
the environment and agriculture
and my beautiful dog Billie.
She's pretty much the star
of the show at this point.
And then, you know, I feel
like we are very fortunate
to be, you know, in the sports
and entertainment part of Melbourne,
which is like such a lively city.
And I love going to other
sports, you know, I love tennis,
I love the Formula 1, love the footy.
I love going to concerts.
We were just talking
about musical production-
- Yeah.
- Off mic before.
So I think, you know,
I've always just been kind
of one of those people
that loves to be involved in everything
and experience things.
And I feel like hopefully
being an athlete,
I get to give that experience
to others that come
and watch our games in a way.
And I think, yeah, it means a lot to us
that we have people that
are invested in what we do
because I think it's not pressure,
I think it's a privilege in a
way that you just sort of feel
that you wanna live authentically,
but at the same time, you know,
make sure you're setting
a good example for others.
- With the younger people
that come into the team
or get sort of thrust
into this world where,
you know, the Vixens are bigger.
Do you have an,
like, do you give them any advice on,
like, how to deal with, you know,
I don't know that level
of exposure really?
- Probably not.
I'm probably pushing them forward
as I'm trying to, like, not be-
- Handing them a flip phone going,
"Use this instead."
- Use this, yeah, yeah.
- Yeah, yeah, it's good.
- I know, my mom always used to say
that there's no show without Jo
'cause I have been a bit of a spotlight,
attention seeker in a way.
- Really?
- I mean-
- You?
Jo Weston?
(Jo laughing)
- I know.
I gotta use the full name.
Yeah, strong handshake.
(Dom laughing)
Gotta get my face in everything.
You know how it is.
All about that personal brand.
- Uh-huh, uh-huh, yeah.
- But I feel like for me,
obviously, I'm very grateful
for the experiences I
personally get to have.
But at the same time, if
that means the profile
of netball can be bigger, if
I'm known as the netball player
for this small window of time,
then I'll just pass that
chalice on to someone else
when it's their time to
be the netball player
or something like that in a way.
Because you sort of need,
I think the general
population needs the buy
into an individual I think, like, to get
that level of care in a way-
- And connection.
- And connection
to all that sort of stuff.
So for me, I feel like
I'm always just trying
to get the girls to be,
I mean, I don't really think I'm that much
of a social media maven in a way,
but I mean, I just listened
to what the Gen Zs say.
If anything, I'm taking
advice from them in how
to stay relevant and like,
- What's the latest lesson-
- Start the day,
like, the lingo was
like what does 6 7 mean?
- Right.
- I know.
- If you know, write in
because I still can't quite,
I can't quite figure that out.
I feel like a million years old.
You're studying currently-
- I am.
Yes.
- A masters of communication
here at Deakin University.
- I know, yes.
- How on earth do you
balance this with your career
on the field or on the court?
- I have been taking it very slowly,
(both laughing)
especially the last couple of years.
I enrolled back in 2020 during COVID.
- Yep.
- And it was sort of,
I'd stepped away from Deloitte in 2019.
So I think I wasn't looking
at taking up another employment role
alongside playing netball at that point.
So I think for me, I've
always been wanting to try
and, you know, further myself
or upskill in a way for,
like, when I finish.
I think we all know
that playing sport is
not a forever career.
And we are not in a
sport where you can sort
of maximise your earnings
whilst you're playing
and sort of perhaps set yourself
up in a way for post-sport.
For us, you always sort of,
you know, living within your,
what your means are to a
way and then looking about,
you know, future employment post-sport.
So I was thinking myself like,
"Well, I wanna be able to make sure
that future employers
look at me and think,
'Well, Jo's been out of
the workforce for a while,
but she's been trying to
prioritise at least, you know,
growing herself and you
know, further education
and different experiences
and all that sort of stuff.'"
So I was trying to figure
out what I wanted to do.
It was a bit of a hard decision in the end
'cause I came from a finance background,
which is definitely more numbers based.
- Yeah, this is a bit different.
- Yeah, I think the most words
I ever did in an assignment
in my undergraduate degree
was like 1000 or like 1500.
And in most of the arts faculty,
you have to write a lot more words.
I'm learning that the hard way.
- Mm.
- But it's been a really
great pursuit for me.
I've really loved it.
I feel like it's made me more rounded,
definitely more research-orientated
and more capable, I guess,
of forming my own opinions
and being able to sort
of articulate myself in a way.
I'm majoring in public relations,
but I've really found interest
in sort of the corporate
affairs type roles
and also sort of, like, crisis management
and a bit of everything.
So yeah, I've been loving it.
I'm on the home stretch.
I'm actually beginning my internship
and then I have to do the research project
and then I'll be done.
- Cool.
- So I've been going
very slowly the last couple of years
just because we've had a bit on
and it's been a bit challenging to find-
- You just had a little bit on.
- Well, I think doing an internship
versus doing the coursework
is a little bit more logistically-
- Yeah, it's more intense.
- Tight.
- Yeah, totally.
- Without schedules in terms of training
and I've have sort of had to go around
and be like, "Can I
please do an internship?"
Which is a request anyway,
"But can you work around me?"
Versus normally I feel like
if you're coming into an organisation,
you'd be doing your best
to work around them.
- Absolutely.
You're like, "What can I do for you?"
- Yes, yeah, I know.
- What do you need?
- What do you need?
But yeah, so I'm really
excited to finally tick it off
and then hopefully at
the end of next year-
- You'll be hosting this show.
- I mean, yeah, watch out, Dom.
- Crisis Management for Deakin University
- Perhaps, yeah.
- Yeah, you'd be-
- Do you need any help?
- Yeah, we need some
on our marketing team.
- But yeah, I've been loving it
and hopefully, I'll be
finished eventually.
I'm not in any rush though.
I've already taken five years
to do what is a two year
full time degree, so...
- Yeah, and you are enjoying
every minute of it, I'm sure.
- Yeah, that's it.
I don't want it to end.
I'm just having such a good time.
- Exactly.
- Yeah.
- Deakin University, you
won't want your degree to end.
- No, never graduate.
- Has it been a mix of, you know, online
and on-campus or is it all
online or what's the deal?
- Initially, I was hoping to
come into campus a little bit,
but I've ended up mainly just
doing cloud subjects online,
which has been really great
in terms of the
flexibility that's offered.
Just because in terms of turning
around from driving from
training and getting to classes
and then also feeling
like sometimes after,
you know, running around
for two to three hours,
I feel like my concentration
just isn't quite there.
I need a little rest, you know?
I need a nap or something like that.
So being able to-
- Yeah, it's pretty
sustainable for you.
- Yeah, being able to come back at a time
where I can potentially
listen to the recordings
or feel like I can get involved
around our training has been really great.
Versus feeling like I'm just trying
to fit everything in all in one day.
Like, staggering it and being
able to go at my own pace,
that's what I think's
been most beneficial.
And yeah, I've just been really loving it.
All of the subjects have been so great.
I feel like there was, you know,
I think last year I did
one of my assignments
on the NRL's new team in Papua New Guinea.
- Oh.
- And I think even,
like, looking at sports diplomacy
and all that sort of stuff
has been really interesting
for me.
It's something I'm genuinely fascinated by
and how that sort of progresses a sport
and where, you know,
there's a lot of crossover.
Anyone who ever says
politics in sport don't mix,
I feel like I'm not really sure
what I was doing at Parliament
House last week then
if they don't mix.
- Yeah.
- But you know,
I think there's...
- Brag, brag, brag.
Goodness.
- Yeah.
Did you see the selfie of me and Albo,
the week of his wedding as well?
I mean, he really got a-
- Oh.
- I know.
I said you, "You're looking glowing.
Did you get like a facial or..."
(both laughing)
- What did he say?
- Well, I think he'd been in
South Africa for the last week,
so I am not really sure.
(both laughing)
- Has it felt tangible to you as well?
Like, the stuff that you've been learning
and you know, do you feel
like you can apply it
to a job once the course is over?
- Yeah, I've really liked it.
I think any of the work I've been doing,
whether I've done a bit of some
of my assignments on Suncorp Super Netball
or different women's sports
and I'm hoping to sort of do some
of my research next year
on trying to translate,
I think, the attendance
numbers we get in person
to netball games and women's sports
to viewership numbers on the broadcast.
- Ah.
- I think there's a,
like, they're not really sure
where we are falling off
in terms of getting people
to watch versus getting
people along to games.
So hopefully if I can, you know,
perhaps utilise a bit of
my social media following
to be able to get people
engaged in research,
which is a bit of a life hack.
I think actually sort of
already having perhaps a bit
of a target audience
already sitting there.
I don't know if I'm allowed to do that.
I probably should double check.
(Dom laughing)
I think hopefully if I can,
you know, help out Netball Australia
or show other organisations
that I've got the skills
and be able to present something to them,
maybe in the future I could
do something similar for,
you know, maybe in the lead
up to the Brisbane Olympics
or all those sort of,
like, big sporting events
that come into Australia
or even internationally.
- Yeah, I like the way you think
and I love that as a bit of a life hack.
All you need to be is just a famous,
you know, netball player.
- Well, hopefully-
- With a social media
following like Jo Weston, so easy.
- Make sure you do the,
yeah, can you please fill
out my research survey?
I say that now, but probably
I'll probably get like a 1%.
(both laughing)
- Yeah, yeah, you've doomed yourself here.
- Yeah, I know.
has what you've been
studying influenced the way
that you kind of, I don't know,
lead and communicate as
a player on your team?
- Ooh.
I think definitely some
of the work I've done
with the player's association,
some of the research I've been doing
about how previous campaigns have been run
or what's been the most
effective way to negotiate
or what happens perhaps if you're in a bit
of a crisis in terms of
having some publicity,
whether it's good or bad.
And netball has had that in
the last couple of years.
So I think being able to draw
on the learnings I've had,
I guess, you know, we do a lot
of looking back at real life experiences
and what, you know, sort of worked out,
what perhaps didn't go to plan.
And I mean, there's so much
that you can't really foresee
in the current internet age
or the way things move
in terms how people,
you know, lead in that way
where, you know, everything
can be picked apart
or you know, repeated back
to you in different circumstances.
So I think it's been really
eye-opening in a way.
And I hope it's, you know,
just been able to develop me as an athlete
and as a leader in a way.
And I feel like any, you know,
I'm always willing to grow
and listen to others and try
and, you know, get out as much information
or learn as much from them as I can.
Yeah.
- And has any of this changed how you sort
of see the role of storytelling in sport?
- Yeah, I think there's,
you know, it's sort of hard when we're,
you know, they're always trying
to market women's sports differently
and a lot of the time, the
stories end up writing themselves
in a way, sort of like our
finals campaign in terms of,
if you'd looked, I'm sure, at the start
of the season, you always
wanna win a premiership.
That's always the aim.
- Hmm.
- Right?
But if you kind of work
backwards from that,
you're never really sure
what's going to unfold
or what plays are going to
have a really great season
and sort of develop in a certain way
or what players might get injured
and that might have a, you know,
a really big impact on a team.
So I think when they're trying
to pull out common threads
to be able to tell stories,
which is normally a way,
you know, to get people to come and watch
or get people to come along
or just share what netball
and sport has been,
you know, really a big part
of the last couple of years,
I feel like it's enabled me to
be able to communicate better
and be able to relate to
people a little bit more.
And I hope that comes across, you know,
when we're out in the communities
'cause that's what I think,
you can't really lose
sight of the grassroots
of what is really important.
And for me, I always flash
back to when, you know,
I was like nine or 10
years old playing out
at Waverley District Netball
Courts tearing up my knees
by falling over on the asphalt.
And I think being able to return there
and you know, see,
you know, past me on the same
courts that is still there
is always something that's really special.
- Yeah, I mean, speaking of storytelling,
in 2025, you released your book series.
- Yes.
- "Netball Besties".
- I know, Dom.
Are you a netball bestie?
- I think I am.
Obviously, yeah.
- Yeah, no.
- Featuring your dog,
your beloved dog Billie.
- Yes, she's really the star of the show.
Especially the first
book, which has her name.
"The Mystery of the Missing
Billie", she plays a key role.
Like, she's almost the
third main character,
protagonist in a way.
- Wow.
- So there's Jo,
little Jo who's obviously
based off yours truly.
- Yes.
- And then Ava, who is her netball bestie
that moves into the farm next door.
So it's like loosely inspired
by elements of my own life.
Jo lives on a nut farm up at Talma Valley,
which is a bit different to the
Ovens Valley where I'm from.
And then, you know, they've
joined the netball team
at school and there's all
these different elements
that sort of run across it.
Netball is sort of the undercurrent,
but it's really about friendship.
It's about adventure
and it's about, obviously,
beautiful Billie, who,
you know, she's got a
personality of her own.
There is something I have
to tell you about the book, if you see it,
unfortunately for Billie,
my dog, they had to super,
there's a bit of, you know,
- Oh.
- Oh.
It's not quite true.
- Oh.
- Because my dog Billie,
she doesn't have a tail,
but Billie in the books, she has a tail.
- Oh dear.
Geez.
Yeah.
- Yeah, I mean, it was a-
- That would've been
an interesting meeting.
- It was a way to show her emotion
because the tail has to wag.
- Yeah, okay, I see, I see.
- I looked down down to Billie and I said,
"You know, they're pretty much,
they're changing you, but that's okay."
- Yeah, you're perfect
the way you are, but.
- I know the editor said,
they said, "We're gonna
have to change this, Jo."
And I said, "Okay, it's fine."
- Yeah.
- Yeah,
so it's been really nice.
I've always been a really big reader.
I mean, historical fiction is
where I kind of lean
towards in my own pursuits.
But yeah, it's been a
really fun thing to be able
to develop it and have all those
different underlying themes
and then being able to
go out to communities
and local clubs and share it.
And I'm also always seeking feedback
for what's gonna come
next for Jo and Ava, so...
- Oh, yes, yes.
- Yeah, that's been really good too.
- That's cool.
- Yeah.
- I mean, like, did you
always wanna write a book?
Like, what inspired
you to sort of do this?
- It was probably a combination
of a couple of things.
I feel like there's a lot
of sporting books out there
and I think netball being a part of it,
but it's sort of really
focusing on the friendship
and the adventure element over just sort
of the performance part
about it is what I've sort
of been really excited about.
Like, I was saying before,
like, I loved playing netball
when I was really young
because I saw it as a
way to make new friends,
specifically female friendships as well.
So I think having those aspects
involved has been really,
yeah, it's been really cool.
- So you're also a seasoned
podcast professional.
I mean, goodness me, I feel
so honoured to have you here.
How am I doing by the way?
- No, this is much more
professional than the setup we have.
We have one camera.
You've got, I mean,
there's three or something.
The light's quite nice.
- There as well and there's one,
no, there's not.
- Yeah.
We always try and avoid sitting,
like, Emily and I, who
co-host the "BackStoppers",
which is the Vixens' podcast.
We always try and, like,
avoid sitting right
under the down light
because it's the most
unflattering lighting.
But you've got nice, like,
ambient lighting in here,
so I'm sure we're gonna
look good on the cameras.
- Yes, and we need it.
I mean, I do.
- But I did interrupt your question,
which is, like, the one
thing you really shouldn't do
as a podcast host.
So go ahead.
- Oh, yeah,
I thought you were perfect.
No, I guess what's been the most memorable
or surprising kind of conversation
that you've had on the "BackStoppers"?
- Well, this is probably
a bit more serious.
We try and like, alternate between,
we do a bit of netball
recapping during the year.
We talk about, I guess, things
that are popular in other
sports media, general chitchat.
It's normally me
ribbing Emily for living in Geelong,
which if Geelong has one hater, it's me.
Oh, I forget that you have the
campus down at Waurn Ponds.
- Yeah.
(both laughing)
Waurn Ponds Waterfront Deakin University.
We love Geelong.
- We're gonna have
to cut this too.
- Jo Weston, not so much,
but we love Geelong.
(Jo laughing)
Oh my gosh.
- To our people in Geelong.
- Sorry about that.
No, normally just me ripping Emily
about living in Geelong 'cause
it's a little bit far out.
It's very pretty down there.
No, you've got the Waurn
Ponds campus, you know?
- That's right.
Get back in that good graces.
- That was a good segue, wasn't it?
But I feel like we've had,
we've had a lot of fun.
We used to try and have
guests in every week.
We still try and have
people in occasionally
or we have one of our
other players come in
and co-host for us for a bit.
But we've had the same team
for the last couple of years.
We haven't had a lot of changeover
'cause normally we were doing it
as a way to introduce new people-
- Oh, I see.
Yeah.
- To the broader
Vixens community.
But we've had the same team.
So maybe we need to
restart it a little bit
and delve a bit deeper.
I might need to get some tips from you
in terms of asking some
hard hitting questions
'cause we normally just do, you know,
Bondi Sands or Loving Tan in terms
of what fake tan people like to use or-
- That is pretty hard hitting.
- Yeah, I think that is
a really tough question.
Or like, would you prefer a
sandwich or a sushi for lunch?
You know?
- What's the best
vanilla slice in Geelong?
- Oh, do they have it down there?
- Yeah.
(both laughing)
Okay, we better move on.
(both laughing)
- Don't get me started on Perth, okay?
(both laughing)
- Okay.
So yeah, Jo Weston, thanks for coming on.
(both laughing)
Now, in 2003, netball went through a bit
of a turbulent period,
but the sport seems to have
kind of come out stronger,
especially with the most recent
agreement with the Diamonds.
You're president
of the Australian Netball
Players Association.
And you were involved in
negotiating the agreement
that sets out the players'
pay and conditions.
Can you tell us a little bit about
what the process was like
and what it taught you?
- Ooh, yeah, I think the process,
you know, it's changed over time.
Initially, we come in,
it's like any sort of business negotiation
where you sort of two sides
wanna come to an agreement
and you sort of come in with what all
of your priority areas are,
what you're probably
willing to compromise on,
what you feel really passionate about.
And you try and, you know, melt
those towards a common goal,
which is probably having
a signed agreement
by all the parties involved.
I think for us there's
a bit of complication
because we have the players,
we have Netball Australia
as the governing body,
and then we have the eight
clubs that are involved.
So I think it's almost
a triangle in a way.
And the eight clubs
might also not be aligned
because they've all got their
own vested interests in a way.
Some of them are associated
with a governing body,
like the Melbourne Vixens
is with Netball Victoria.
Some are separate, like the
Sunshine Coast Lightning.
They're not affiliated
with Netball Queensland
in the same way that the
Queensland Firebirds are.
So there's a lot of moving parts.
- Yeah.
- To begin with,
we've got an Australian group of players,
we've got some international
players that come in.
So I mean, most players are, you know,
always interested in getting paid more.
(Jo laughing)
And for us, you know, it
was really important to have
that element of a revenue share component
in our playing agreement.
A lot of other professional,
pretty much most professional sports
in the modern day have that.
It's where, I guess to
really patronise everyone
because revenue share is probably-
- I think it's, yeah, a
good thing to explain.
- It's where the playing group
will be allocated a percentage
of the revenue that the,
you know, the sporting league generates
or the governing body generates
from the sporting product.
- Yeah.
- So whether
that's ticket sales, whether that's-
- TV broadcasting.
- TV broadcast,
we're still probably
looking for a little bit
of the merchandise sales,
sorry, Netball Victoria.
Because they currently,
all the merchandise that the
Vixens sell at the moment,
the players don't get
a percentage of that.
But it's sort of like,
obviously, you know,
you're trying to move the
dial little by little,
so that way in the future
when the revenues continue to grow,
the players can continue to benefit.
It's probably no different than having,
you know, KPIs if you're
in an executive team.
Because if I'm, as a player,
benefiting from more
merchandise being sold,
well, I'm gonna probably
help promote that in a way
because I get a small percentage
of it back into the player's pockets.
- Yeah.
- So that's what we were sort
of really working towards.
And as, you know, me just
explaining that small example
about merchandise sales, that
requires probably the party
that currently holds all the revenue
to be able to be open to, you know,
parting with a small proportion of that.
Which, you know, can be a
bit of an interesting battle
to try and go through.
But at the end of the
day, as I was saying,
a lot of other sports have it.
So my theory was,
and I think most of us
sort of felt like this,
that if netball wants to
remain competitive as,
you know, the professional
sport of choice for women
and girls coming through
over AFLW, over basketball,
over the NRL,
it's a very competitive
landscape at the moment.
Like, we have to keep progressing in order
to make sure players are being
remunerated appropriately
and we're also evolving.
We're not just staying
in the same sort of state
because we are going to
get overtaken, in a way.
So that's what we were sort
of really passionate about for us.
And yeah, obviously, there's
a bit of give and take.
- Yeah, and you've been
through a few of these-
- Yeah, sorry.
- At this point, right?
- I've rambled at this point.
Yes.
- No, no, no.
But like, so have you
developed a bit of a gut
as to, like, when you
know something is probably
as good as it's going get.
Is it when everyone's,
was it the compromise is when
everyone's unhappy about it,
then you're like, "Okay, we're here."
Like, you know, what
have you kind of learned?
- Oh, yeah, I think there's
been a couple of things.
I probably would say don't
compromise too early.
(Jo laughing)
I think sometimes when we've been
in some of the discussions,
I feel like when we've been open
to moving the dial early,
that sort of has been forgotten about.
When it gets to, you know,
the real final -nth degree
And then we have to compromise again.
So I think there should be,
that's something I've
personally learnt in a way,
because I feel like, especially as women,
you sort of wanna people
please or keep things moving.
And you know, there's also
the time duration of it.
We went for a period where a lot
of players were being unpaid.
So for us, like, holding
out, holding out, holding out
and hoping that the other
parties involved might move,
it's hard to us to come
back to the players
that haven't been paid to be like,
"Oh yeah, well, we're still
asking for the same thing.
Oh, we're still asking
for the same thing."
So, I mean, I say don't
compromise too early,
but it's probably
circumstantial in that regard.
So, I mean, that's probably been one
of the learnings that I've felt.
And there's, I mean, a whole
raft of other things about,
you know, what goes out publicly,
what do you keep to yourself?
Making sure you've got
enough communication
with the broader playing group,
making sure that people
don't feel overwhelmed
with the amount of
information they're getting.
Making sure you're just keeping
people on the same page,
trying to reinforce the same message,
trying to keep people optimistic,
even if there hasn't been much progress
in a significant period of time.
I mean, that's probably been,
do you think that's enough learnings?
I've learnt enough.
- That's a lot.
- I prefer not
to learn anymore.
Nah.
(both laughing)
- Well, it's a lot of learnings as well,
I guess, from your perspective
as well as a leader.
- Mm.
- Because you are leading
the sort of,
you're leading a team of people.
You're sort of taking the lead on this
and you've got a lot of,
I don't know, other people's fates
in your hand a little bit.
I guess has that sort of felt,
I don't know, taking the,
I don't know, the load of that on?
- For me, it's probably been about
when people are asking me
questions, feeling that, okay,
that if I might not know the exact answer,
I feel like I do know all
of our contracts very well,
but sometimes I do have
to double check everything
to make sure I'm giving
people the right information
versus just an instantaneous answer.
And then it's also probably
about just trying to,
for me, I'm very, like,
passionate about advocacy work
and I'm really passionate about
what our players union offers people.
I think it's really important.
I think in any other
industry, it's very common,
but because sometimes you can look at it
and be like, "Okay, well,
oh, we've got another,
you know, we've got a
players association meeting
and it's this and that."
But we do a lot of work behind the scenes
that players might not necessarily see,
but it does benefit them in the,
hopefully, in the long term.
And without having that, you know,
things can fracture quite quickly.
So for me it's about just trying to,
after what we went through in 2023,
reinforce how important it can be
and how people, athletes, you know,
them buying in is really helpful for us
in terms of when we're going to,
you know, the governing body
or different clubs and
requesting certain things
because we wanna make sure that we're,
you know, presenting as
united front as we can.
- Netball has grown
substantially in profile
and professionalism over the years.
What excites you about the growth
of women's sport in Australia the most?
- Oh, I think it's probably
just the visibility.
I feel like we've got some
amazing crowds that have come
and filled up either John Cain
or it was Rod Laver Arena,
you know, I'm a huge tennis fan,
for our Suncorp Super Netball
grand final this year.
So I think being able to ride
that wave has been really fun.
I mean, it's not been all
about personal gain for me.
I think about having
girls that come and watch
and being able to see, you know,
women competing at the elite level.
They see, you know,
playing sport as a career,
whether it's netball
or whether it's any other
of the options they have.
There are so many options now.
And that's the really exciting thing
'cause for me, when it
was younger, it was,
well, I saw the tennis and that was sort
of the only real female
athletes I saw outside
of watching the Olympics every four years.
So I think having,
you know, a pathway
which people can look at
and be like, "Well, if I,
you know, wanna play
one day for Australia,
this is the general pathway I can go on
and be able to either, you know,
enjoy it for fun."
And just, you know,
whether you play netball
for one day at school
or whether you play it for a whole year,
or whether you play it
for however many years I've played it for,
I think being a part of a team
and you know, being able
to set goals for yourself
and learn things that aren't
just sort of being competitive
and having fun out on the court,
I think is what's really important.
And being an athlete I think
is very different from,
or, like, training for
something is very different
from probably, you know,
going to a Pilates class
or things like that.
So I think having,
like, I'm still competitive
in Pilates anyway.
(Jo laughing)
- Yeah, no, I can see that though.
- But I think having a healthy outlet
where you can pursue
it and feel comfortable
and all those sorts of things
that are really beneficial
for young girls.
And also, you know, feeling
comfortable fueling your body
for performance base versus
just sort of, like, seeing,
especially for, like, young
teenage girls, seeing,
like, your physical self as just some sort
of, like, aesthetic being,
you know, I think seeing that
in that way is really valuable
and having, you know,
your value as a woman,
not just kind of placed on
what you look like as well.
- Of course.
And what advice would
you give girls hoping
for a career in sport,
both on and off the court?
- I'd say definitely
listen to your coaches.
Probably, yeah, that would
be my piece of advice.
Ask for feedback.
Always try and be as
optimistic as you can.
I think it can be really
challenging if you're,
you know, you get injured
or you might not be
getting as much court time.
And for me it was definitely trying lots
of different sports.
I think that's what's really kind
of made me love netball so much is
because I sort of found something special
that I really resonated with.
And I love all the other things I've done.
Still love dancing,
still love tennis, golf,
not really sure about
that one at this point.
(Dom laughing)
But I think that would be it
in terms of trying everything,
I think make sure you're
having fun along the way.
And then if you have some coaches,
they're definitely gonna try and foster,
you know, any potential
talent they see in you.
So that probably would be it.
- Yeah, nice.
Australia is in the, you know,
in a golden age of sport.
And as we prepare for Brisbane 2032
where we'll hopefully see
netball at the Olympics.
Hashtag back the bid.
- Yes, back the bid, sign the petition.
(Dom laughing)
- What's next for the golden decade of Jo?
- Ooh.
- Where will you be in 2032?
- 2032.
Maybe I'll have four
Australian Shepherds by then.
(both laughing)
Oh, I'm not really sure at this point.
You know, I'm trying to,
you know, extend the tail
end of my netball career
for a couple more years.
But we'll wait and see how that goes.
I'm still feeling pretty
good physically wise
and I'm still really
enjoying the training.
I think that's what I,
to sort of repeat what we
were talking about before,
you know, training day
in, day out is monotonous,
so you really have to love the sport.
You can't just be in it for
any sort of financial gain.
I wouldn't say any netball
player is probably in it for,
you know, significant financial gain.
Not yet.
- After this negotiation, no.
- But in terms of just
having the longevity,
you just really have to enjoy,
you know, certain aspects of it.
There's gonna be certain parts,
it's like any job.
There's certain parts you like,
there's a lot of it you might not like.
But I think looking forward,
I'd love to be able to,
you know, use the small profile I have
to be able to continue
to advocate for netball
or other women's sports in that space.
I think hopefully maybe do a
little bit of sports diplomacy.
I think especially in the Pacific region,
netball is a really big part
of the communities there.
And even looking, you know,
further abroad to Sri Lanka
and India and all of those
places, I think I would love to,
I think that's sort
of is something I'm really interested in.
And then, yeah, I am hoping maybe
to get on the "Great Australian Bakeoff"
or "Dancing with the
Stars" or really try and-
- Call in.
Call in, producers.
- What else do I wanna do?
I wanna be the CEO of the AFL.
I wanna be, you know,
the managing director
of the Australian Open.
- Sure.
- Do you think I can do all of that?
- Yeah, probably in the next year.
That's a good New Year's resolution.
- Yeah.
Continue on my TikTok stardom.
No, no, no.
At this point, I'm not entirely sure,
but I feel like I'm just so open
to learning from other people
and saying yes to opportunities
and hopefully, you know,
being able to continue
to be involved in the sporting landscape,
whether it's in Australia or it's abroad.
Because yeah, I think it's
just such a big passion of mine
and it's not just being the athlete,
I think it's what it, you know,
extends deeper down into the community
where I feel like I've
personally really benefited
and I think it's my opportunity
now to be able to give back.
- Amazing.
All right, we've got some quick fire sort
of wrap up questions here.
- Okay.
Sushi or sandwich?
- Yeah, let's go.
(both laughing)
- All right, so your
teammates have described you
as the future prime minister of Australia.
So what is the first thing
you would do in office, Jo?
- Okay, I would make a four-day
working week mandatory.
- Ah.
- Maybe slightly longer on the four days,
but I think a two-day
weekend's just not long enough.
I think to encourage
people to have proper rest,
work-life balance, that's what I would do.
- Wow.
- And they're already trialling it,
I think maybe down in Tasmania
in a couple of businesses.
Could you see that happening?
Also I think it'd be
a very popular policy.
- Yeah, well, I think you
just got a couple of votes.
- I think I'd get elected.
(both laughing)
- I think that's very interesting.
Vote one Jo Weston.
- Because if you really think about it,
like, the first half of Monday,
always a bit slow.
The second half of
Friday, always a bit slow.
Chop 'em off, four-day
working week, off you go.
- There you go.
And Lord knows it's Monday today
and the first half of my Monday
has been absolutely useless.
- Don't tell your employer that.
Are they listening to this?
- No, I don't think so.
I don't think they watch this show.
(both laughing)
"Netball Besties".
Reese's Book Club or Oprah's Book Club?
- Oh.
- What would you prefer?
- I think Reese's.
I'm a "Big Little Lies" fan.
- Ah, yes.
- And "Legally Blonde" is,
it's probably not my favourite movie now,
but it's my favourite
movie for a long time.
So I've been a big Reese Witherspoon fan.
- Okay.
- So probably Reese.
- Reese, if you're listening,
- I don't know
if it's generally her target demographic,
but that's okay.
- I think she watches.
Yeah, she watches and listens.
- Okay.
- Okay, there we go.
(both laughing)
If you weren't a professional netballer,
you would be a professional...
- Travel journalist.
- Travel journalist, okay.
- I think so.
I feel like that'd be good,
or professional tennis player.
- Tennis player.
- Or I would love
to be a backup dancer on like
the Taylor Swift Eras tour.
- Okay.
Journalist, tennis player, backup dance,
hey, when you had your
big ball that you would go
to the Australian Open,
who was the, like, most
famous person that signed it?
- Serena Williams.
- Oh.
- And I got a selfie with Venus Williams.
- Whoa.
- I don't think you understand
how diehard I was.
Like, this was before,
obviously, the Australian Open
has had many different iterations.
- Mm.
- But this was back
when you could buy a ground pass
and you could get into most of the arenas.
Like, the arenas weren't ticketed.
- Ah, different times.
- So I think it was only Rod Laver you had
to get special tickets for,
so all of the other arenas were filled
with, like, seated players.
So we would sit in the general admin
and I would be, like, waiting
'cause you weren't allowed to move
until the game had finished.
And I'd be, like, there
waiting with my ball.
Waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting.
Oh, sorry.
Running down like this.
Like, literally getting an
indentation from the boundary
'cause I was leaning over
so hard to get it signed.
And then I'd go to all the practise courts
and all that sort of stuff.
I was die hard.
- That's awesome.
- And I wasn't very good.
(both laughing)
- Finally, pub order.
What's your meal and what's your beverage?
- Ooh.
I am more of a chicken schnitzel
girl than a chicken parmer.
- Yeah.
- I like it with gravy,
Chips, salad,
eh, maybe depending on the salad,
I'd prefer a slaw rather
than, like, a salad.
- Uh-huh, yeah, okay.
- Drink order.
Either a Coke Zero or
I like a ginger beer.
- Yeah, nice.
-But I mean, probably in
season, Coke Zero, you know?
- Of course, yeah, of course.
Well, I think that's a great answer.
Yeah.
- What's your pub order?
- Oh, I don't know.
It kind of depends what the pub is,
but I think, yeah, generally
like a steak or a pie.
I love a winter pie.
- See, I don't like the winter pies
because you only get
the pastry on the top.
I feel like I'm being cheated.
- Yeah.
- You know when they do
the ones like a,
- In the bowl?
- Pot pie?
Yeah, like a pot pie.
- Oh.
Yeah, I kind of like that.
Yeah, I don't know.
Maybe that's controversial.
- What do you think the
best pub in Melbourne is?
- Well, now that I can't do, yeah.
But it's definitely not in Geelong.
No, just kidding.
- Whoa, whoa.
- No, we love, yeah, yeah.
I don't know where that came from.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- Yeah, we love Geelong.
Yeah, no, just kidding.
But also, I can't pick a pub in Melbourne.
I'll make even more enemies that way.
- Yeah, that's fair.
That's fair.
- Yeah.
But this podcast is not about me.
It's been about you
and, Jo, thanks for coming
on "Stories of Wonder".
- Thanks for having me, Dom.