No nerves for Mardi Dangerfield ahead of Brownlow night even though husband Patrick is the favourite

Her husband may be the hot favourite for this year’s Brownlow Medal, but Mardi Dangerfield says she’s the most relaxed she’s ever been heading into tomorrow night’s ceremony.

Mardi Dangerfield is the most relaxed she’s ever been heading into her 10th Brownlow Medal ceremony, even though her husband — Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield — is the favourite.

The mum to two-year-old George and three-month-old Felicity says having kids has put things in perspective and made her more at ease with the AFL’s night of nights.

“You’re just not as stressed about anything really. Georgia (Young) has done all of my dresses since I’ve been a mum and we’re just on the same page. This is her expertise and I love her style so I trust whatever she does,” she says.

Mardi will have to step out of the event to feed baby “Flick”, who will be upstairs in a room at Crown with her grandmother, at some stage during the night.

“There are a lot of mums, I’ve spoken to a few before this year about ‘What did you do and how do you manage it?’ It’s nice to have that informal support of knowing you’re not the only one to be ducking out to breastfeed,” she says.

Patrick’s rise to the top of the Brownlow betting ranks came as a surprise to Mardi.

“That came out of nowhere. I don’t follow the whole league like that to know where he sits, I feel like he’s had a good year. I think Geelong in general has had a good year so it might be one of those ones where too many are stealing votes from each other, but that’s what you need for a successful team, more than one person firing,” she says.

“We don’t really talk footy so I don’t know how he’s (Patrick) feeling about it.”

Mardi and Patrick Dangerfield with son George. Picture: Instagram

The additional focus on Patrick on the night means that Mardi will also inevitably be in the spotlight too.

“Usually it would make me really nervous but after 10 years you accept it for what it is on the night and keep going,” she says.

“There are some really cool photos from the year Pat won and you cherish them much later. You don’t even realise at the time because it’s so full on, even on the red carpet it’s just flashing everywhere, you don’t even think about that being a photo. You’re just trying not to fall over. It’s later that you look back and think that’s nice to have.”

Mardi says she clearly remembers their first Brownlow together at the age of 18 when they nervously “ran through the red carpet”, but says her favourite dress was in 2016.

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“My favourite would be the red dress that Georgia did, that was Pat’s winning year and it was the first dress I was like, ‘This is a bit edgy, this has a bit of personality about it’,” she says.

“Doing the braids that year, which my Gran really didn’t like, she told me she was very clear about that. But I loved that, it was a more glamorous extra version of who I am. It was probably the first time I cared a bit more about what I was wearing.”

Mardi wears pink gown by Georgia Young Couture.

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