One of Super Netball’s most iconic players and self-professed ‘netball geeks’ will reach a major career milestone this weekend, with GIANTS co-captain Jo Harten set to play her 200th National League game on Sunday when the GIANTS face the Firebirds in Brisbane.
Joining an elusive list of players to reach the milestone, Harten’s 200 games stem from her tenure across three clubs: the Canterbury Tactix and the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in New Zealand, as well as the GIANTS, where she has been an integral part of the club since its inaugural season.
Now in the midst of her 14th National League season — and 20th overall — Harten’s journey, which began as a young dreamer from the south of England, will be celebrated in front of Australian fans who have watched her grow into one of the game’s most respected players and a true icon of GIANTS Netball.
“It’s always special to play one game, “Harten said reflecting on her career to date.
“And then to get to 100, and then to get to 200 games across the ANZ and SSN is pretty special.
“If I look at my career – coming from the south of England and just wanting to be a pro netball player for my whole youth – and then to look back to where I am today – it gives you the warm and fuzzies.”
Harten’s journey to 200 games has been anything but ordinary. At just 22, she made the bold decision to pack up her life and move from her hometown in England across the globe to New Zealand in pursuit of a professional netball career—a move that changed the course of her life.
“Sometimes I take it for granted that I moved away from my home and from my network and all my creature comforts to chase a dream, “she said.
“And I did that when I was 22 and it was extremely hard in those first couple of years going to a struggling team in the Tactix – even though I was super proud to be playing for them.
“Moving to a city that had been devastated by an earthquake as well was a big risk to take but I think going to New Zealand really set the foundations for the rest of my career and I’m super grateful I got the chance to play over there.
“Then coming over to Australia and Sydney with the GIANTS for the last 8–9 years has been the making of me as a person and a netball player.”
Joining the club ahead of its debut season, Harten has played a pivotal role in shaping the GIANTS’ identity both on and off the court, and her memories in orange are among her most treasured.
“I’ve had some of my best netball memories while playing for the GIANTS,” she said.
“To be part of a club that was built from scratch is super special and to be a foundation player of the club is something I hold super close to my heart.”
“It was when I was playing for the GIANTS that I got my greatest netball memory which was winning Commonwealth Games gold with England. And you don’t just get that overnight, it takes a lot of hard work and tears, and I put a lot of those tears into this training environment [at the GIANTS] so I could reach my potential as an athlete - not just for club but country as well.”
A fierce and respected leader, Harten says her leadership has evolved significantly over the course of her career.
“I used to always use the term ‘netball geek.’ I was just so keen to soak up any form of netball when I was younger. Now I look back at the last couple of years especially and I’m now probably playing with some of those young netball geeks and I’m trying to impart some of my own words of wisdom when I play with them,” she said.
“But you’re always a student of the game and you’re always learning, and I think when you stop learning that’s when it becomes boring.
“It’s super special to have different peaks and troughs in my career and experience as a player and a leader, but most importantly as a teammate for so many different athletes through my journey.”
Harten has had no shortage of unforgettable matches in her 200-game journey, but there’s a pair that stand out above the rest.
“There’s two games that stick out the most, the first is my first ANZ game, “she reflected.
“It was representing the Tactix, and we flew all the way to Perth. For a 22-year-old at the time it was an eight-hour flight to get off the plane and that was the beginning of this dream journey and I never quite thought I’d be able to make it there,” she said.
“I remember bibbing up in goal attack against my English teammate Eboni Usoro- Brown and that will always stick with me as sort of the start of my journey.
“And then I think the other most memorable game, I’ve said it before, is the GIANTS’ semi-final against Collingwood in 2017. It really sparked a sense of enthusiasm about what this club can be about and laid the foundations of an exciting brand of netball and showing that we never surrender.”
Recently becoming a mum for the first time has added an extra special layer to Harten’s inspiring journey ahead of game 200 on Sunday.
“It kind of throws everything out of the window when you need to perform at home more so than on the court,” she shared.
“I think when I see what I’ve achieved off the court it makes me proud that that has sparked from being a netball player and chasing a dream, moving to Sydney, finding a family, and settling down. They’re some of my proudest moments.
“I think with everything you do you have to pave the way and be a role model, and previously I was a role model for those in the [netball] community, and now I’m trying to be a role model at home for my daughter.”
As Harten prepares to step out for her 200th game, she carries with her the lessons, struggles, and triumphs of a remarkable journey—from England to New Zealand and finally to Australia, where she’s become a cornerstone of the GIANTS legacy. A leader, a mother, a champion—Harten’s story is one of perseverance, passion, and purpose.
And for fans watching this weekend, game number 200 will be a celebration not just of a number, but of everything it took to get there.
Harten’s 200th National League game will get under way on Sunday at 4pm at Nissan Arena.
