Netball: Souths Bowlo stalwart Ash Reading discusses another grand final clash

Ever since embarking on her journey to become a teacher over a decade ago, the 31-year-old has found her passion for shaping young minds comes naturally.

"I love it," Reading said.

"When people say to me 'What would you do if you weren't teaching?' I really can't think of anything else."

Over the last eight years, the Tamworth native has worked her way up to become the assistant principal at Hillvue Public School.

And in those moments where she is not working, Reading can usually be found on a netball court.

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Having played for South Bowlo Kanga since 2009 - aside from a four-year break while she studied at Southern Cross University in Coffs Harbour - Reading has taken on a mentorship role within the team as well.

"Our team has changed here and there every year," she said.

"We've had people move or go to university, so having those new faces come through, [leadership] is something that's placed on us senior players.

"It is something that I personally enjoy, guiding and mentoring those players."

And though she has played in both of South Bowlo's two-straight grand final wins in 2020 and 2022 (there was no final in 2021 due to COVID), Reading still gets nervous ahead of big games, such as today's grand final against Swans Red.

In fact, she said, the anxiety gets more intense every year.

"I was only saying to the girls last week in the semi-final, 'The older I get, and the more years I do this, the more nervous I get'," Reading said.

That feeling, she said, grows in tandem with the pressure on the team. Every year they win, the weight of expectation becomes heavier.

But, Reading said, she believes it is what drives the team to keep working so hard.

"I guess there is pressure and expectation, but we probably put a lot of it on ourselves," she said.

"There is a bit of pressure, but we work well under pressure. We've been here before, we've felt it before."

After Swans Red upset the much-vaunted Swans White in last weekend's preliminary final, the South Bowlo girls will go in as the unquestioned favourites today.

And, should they emerge victorious, Reading believes it will be one of their most satisfying titles.

"This year, we've definitely had some ups and downs in our results," she said.

"This has been one of the toughest comps we've had in a little while. So for us to take the win, I think it would definitely be more special and meaningful."

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