Words: Elissa Friday
“Ever since I was kid Channel Nine was my dream job,” Nathan Currie declares.
After growing up at Clifton Springs, 26-year-old Nathan is now living his “dream” in Melbourne as the TV channel’s sports presenter for regional Victoria.
But after completing high school at Saint Ignatius College and a media degree at Deakin University Waurn Ponds, Geelong’s still home to the rising star, and the place where he found his media passion.
“All my friends still live in Geelong, and two of my best mates live in Jan Juc, so it’s awesome still being close by,” he says.
“I’d watch people on TV while growing up, including Jo Hall. I was always watching people on television and watching what they were doing.”
Nathan’s career began locally with a stint as a junior newspaper sports reporter, which turned into a part-time job during university.
“I’m a bit of a sports nut – I grew up in a sports-mad household and have always been an AFL fan,” he laughs.
“I love seeing the spectacle of sport and seeing what people can do”.
Nathan’s first experience in television was working with Channel 31 News Geelong from 2010 to 2011 before three years at regional broadcaster WIN TV then landing at Channel Nine in 2015.
After securing the regional sports role, Nathan added another string to his bow in June this year when the station made him a presenter of regional AFL program Off The Bench.
“In the back of mind, I always had a desire to do presenting and the opportunity presented itself,” he says.
Nathan appears in Off The Bench after The Footy Show, alongside former AFL players Liam Pickering and Wayne Schwass.
“Wayne amd Liam have been so good to learn from,” he says.
“They’re so switched on and dedicated to their roles, having done that sort of TV for years. It’s good to bounce off them and see how they do it.
“My role is to talk about big games across the state. It’s pretty light-hearted and more conversational than what I’m used to with news bulletins.
Nathan’s excited about his future in television.
I’d love to do a reporting stint overseas,” he reveals.
“I’ll just keep working hard, and when the opportunity comes up, I hope they think of me.”
