Freelance Sports Media Professional

Hello, welcome to SportsGrad! 👋 

Here you’ll find interviews with (almost) every job in the sports industry.
We ask people living the dream:
“How did you get your job?” and “What does it actually involve?”
So that you can land a dream job in sports too.

Enjoy!

Before we get into this blog, if you want to learn more about Brody, listen to episode #325 of the SportsGrad Podcast!

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“Waking up at 5:30am, flying to Adelaide, then Melbourne, arriving at Melbourne Park for the AO. Straight into work, go down to Rod Laver Arena and there I am courtside filming Novak Djokovic.” - Brody Burrows

Meet Brody Burrows, a freelance sports media professional working across major sporting events and brands. Whether it’s filming Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, producing content alongside the Socceroos and Paramount+, or remotely managing A-Leagues social posts from his family farm, Brody’s work keeps him close to the action and the athletes that shape it.

After a personal loss led him and his wife to move back home to the country, Brody decided to try his hand at sports media despite having no formal experience. He joined SportsGrad, built a platform from scratch, and launched a podcast that reached #4 on the Australian sports charts. From being a “blokey farmer” without TikTok to landing roles at the Australian Open and Paris Olympics, Brody made himself impossible to ignore.

Brody’s journey is perfect for anyone who feels stuck, unsure where to start, or like they’re too late to chase a dream job in sport. He shows how to stand out by being different, not by ticking boxes. If you're nervous about networking, lack experience, or have been ghosted by recruiters, this is the kind of story that reminds you it’s possible to break in, even from the most unlikely place.

🔥 Quick Fire Questions

1. What inspired you to work in sport?

   Growing up in a town of less than 100 people. Sports and its associated clubs are the heart of the community. I remember playing my first game of u/13s footy at 6 years old And my first u/16s game at 10. My parents used to call me Bruce as a kid because of my ability to reel off stats of every single AFL and tennis player from the ages of 8. I still remember year 1 at school we were asked to bring in our favourite book. Most kids brought in a picture book, I brought in the complete guide to the 2000 AFL season and gave the class a spill on the All-Australian team that didn’t feature the brownlow medalist in Shane Woewodin.
   

2. What was your first ever sports-related role?

   At 18, first year after school. I jumped on the Footy committee, Social Club Treasurer and game scribe. Did my knee in Rd 2 so had to get involved somehow. 3 years later I was a co-host on the Saturday morning sports show in Port Lincoln. 6 months later I was the sole host pushing buttons
   

3. After High School, what extra study did you do?

   Qualified primary teacher - Specialising in Music and PE
   

4. What's one interview question you were asked to answer for the job you're in?

   What’s your biggest weakness. (I hate this question so much).

   Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
   

5. A book or podcast recommendation that's helped your career?

   The subtle art of not giving a f*ck - As someone with an extroverted personality who suffered from anxiety this was so helpful.

   Atomic Habits - making small changes in your life to deliver big changes down the line

6. If you could try another job in sport for a day, what would it be?

   TV / Radio Hosting - Presenter - Announcer

What exactly does your job involve?

As a freelance social media guy, the job is so different week by week. One day I’m at the Australian Open capturing content, editing, uploading for posts. The next week I’m still there but producing a TV show built for YouTube. I’ve also just gotten back from spending time working alongside the Socceroos in Perth and then doing a fun video shoot with the boys the next day alongside Paramount+. I’m also lucky enough to do a lot of work from home on the farm. All the gameday posts you see from P+ socials for the A-League, are done remotely. I’d usually cover 3-4 games a weekend. In social media, you’ve got to be flexible, multi skilled but more importantly have a willingness to learn and teach yourself

What are some of the responsibilities of your role?

Gameday content (either live capture or remote clipping using Grabyo or WSC. Analytics

Reporting back to stakeholders with results - what worked/didn't.

Briefs for upcoming creative shoots.

Editing/Creating videos and static images using the Adobe Suite, Podcasting, absorbing social content

What does your career journey look like?

After myself and my wife lost our child, I was pretty depressed and had really tough few months. I lost enjoyment in my job and we decided to move home to the farm whilst I figure out my next step. I wanted to work in sports but had absolutely no in-roads to high level jobs in this field. I joined SportsGrad, found LinkedIn, and went to work building a platform. Initially I wanted to work in sports broadcasting (still do), but when typing sports media into the job section on LinkedIn I found 100s of jobs in sports social media. At this stage I’m your typical blokey farmer who didn’t have TikTok, barely used IG or FB but dove into every bit of content I could. After starting the podcast with Spida I built up a following of over 6500 on TikTok alone and reached #4 in the sports podcast rankings for Australia. During this time I had applied for plenty of roles and not received any callbacks. Now that I had a platform, people began hiring me. Beginning with the Aus Open

What do you think makes it difficult to get a job in the sports industry?

To me, it’s the best job in the world, so there is going to be obvious competition. There are so many people who get a degree and think that a job will come their way. Think of everyone else in this industry, why are you different? Don’t give the typical I work harder, I’m passionate about sport answer. Be different

Have you ever felt stuck or lost, and if so, how did you decide what path to take?

Absolutely. Imagine a farmer from the middle of nowhere trying to tell people he’s going to work in sports media. During the early stages of constant not hearing back and rejection I got really down on myself and thought about giving up. I talked to a few people (Spida, Timmy Ginever) about breaking in. I still remember what Spida said to me after a podcast one day. He said you keep working your arse off, work harder than everyone else, it might not be today, but someone will take notice. 6 months later I was a senior social producer at AO and worked alongside the AFL, Paris Olympics in that year

Can you recall a sliding-doors moment where a connection changed the trajectory of your career?

There’s been a few but recently working for P+ I started just doing gameday content. The way we were doing things, I felt was a little outdated so I messaged Cass (my boss at SDA) with a bunch of changes I thought we could make. We got on a meeting and I detailed them all, I then brought all these into action, updated templates etc.. I was then promoted to the P+ Football Manager. This meant working during the week with national teams, travelling to live events and being the one to oversee all content. Also LinkedIn is key

When you landed your job, what do you think made you stand out?

The one thing that sticks out to me when I see people try and make it in sports social media especially is people not willing to show themselves or their personality when creating this. Make yourself a brand. The last two jobs I’ve received, people have either seen me on my own socials or said ‘I’ve heard your name before’.

What advice would you give to your younger-self to help them take action?

Keep pounding the rock (stealing from Chris Fagan). Love speaking about this analogy.

What’s your #1 ‘pinch me’ moment working in sport?

Waking up at 5:30am, flying to Adelaide, then Melbourne, arriving at Melbourne Park for the AO. Straight into work, go down to RLA there’s a closed training session and capture some content. There I am courtside filming Novak Djokovic. Gather Round footy show in the Barossa - Head of Socials. Working with Eddie, James Hird etc… most recent shoot with the Socceroos the day after their huge win against Japan.

What do you think your life would look like if you hadn't pursued a career in sport?

I’d probably be working on the farm full time - i love it and still spend all my life here. But I currently get the best of both worlds, I work my dream job travelling the world with sport whilst still living on a farm with space and my beautiful family.