AFLW grand final: North Melbourne star Ash Riddell continues classroom preparations for season decider

Grand Final week is supposed to be all about the spotlight. But, North Melbourne star Ash Riddell’s approach is much more low key than most — and, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

On the coral carpet before Monday’s AFLW awards, a request for a TV interview with Ash Riddell had to be politely turned down.

It’s not that the North Melbourne ball magnet was media shy, or nervous about being third favourite with the bookies for the league best-and-fairest that night.

Riddell had to say no because she was in a rush, getting all the way down the M3 to Crown from her primary school teaching job in northern suburb Eltham during peak hour.

Ash Riddell made it through traffic to the W Awards. Picture: Josh Chadwick/AFL Photos

As some players let themselves focus solely on Saturday’s grand final, Riddell was happy to worry about her pupils this week.

She is glad to stand in front of the chalkboard during the week and enter the centre square on weekends.

“I love it. I love my job and I love the fact that I can work,” she said.

“I would probably struggle to be a full-time footballer because I love doing stuff externally and keeping my mind off football.

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“I love to analyse the game and I love to critique things so by doing other things I guess I don’t have time to dwell on mistakes.

“I think I am actually a better player because I have that balance. And you get to school and the kids don’t care about how you did on the weekend. They want to tell you about their footy games and how they had 35 (disposals) and five (goals) and what not.

“It’s humbling, it’s refreshing to give back to the community in that sense.”

Riddell catches up with some young fans after last week’s preliminary final. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

One of the game’s best midfielders — Riddell ran second to Crow Ebony Marinoff on Monday and only Marinoff (427) has had more disposals this season than Riddell (381) — the Roo may struggle to get a word in about her own performances in the classroom on a Monday morning.

But she has managed to convert some of her students to become North Melbourne AFLW fans.

“There have definitely been a few kids jumping on the bandwagon asking for free jerseys and what not, suddenly taking an interest,” she said.

“It is exciting. The school community does get around me and I am really fortunate to be well supported by the community as well.”

Ash Riddell kicks an absolute beautyyyy 😍#AFLWNorthCatspic.twitter.com/F7SGyojcDm

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Even if there are some bandwagoners among Riddell’s grade 6 cohort, others have been rusted on North fans this year.

Back in round 4, North Melbourne ‘hosted’ Port Adelaide at Whitten Oval at 5.05pm on a Friday.

Roos coach Darren Crocker was politely firm when he said playing in the west against an interstate opponent at that time instead of at the club’s home at Arden St “wasn’t ideal fixturing for us”.

But of the 943 fans there, there was clearly a big cheer whenever Riddell had one of her 30 disposals as her students had turned out in force.

Saturday’s decider at Ikon Park has sold out, but Riddell did her best to put aside some tickets and some of those grade 6 faithful will be there.

“We’re lucky that we get a fair few through the (AFLPA) and what not but I think given last year it was a bit of a surprise how quickly it sold out so we were much better prepared this year,” she said.

Riddell may have come late to Crown on Monday but she was on from the start in the eyes of the umpires and pushed Marinoff all the way for the league award.

Heading into the final round, Riddell sat two votes behind Marinoff.

Teammate Alice O’Loughlin didn’t help Riddell’s cause. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

She did her calculations looking back on a comfortable win over Gold Coast, but it was forward Alice O’Loughlin who polled the three, and promptly apologised.

“I said sorry to her actually,” O’Loughlin laughed.

It wouldn’t have been enough anyway for Riddell, who ended three votes behind Marinoff.

“There probably could have been three or four players who could have got the three … to be honest I wasn’t too stressed at all,” she said.

Outside of school bells, her focus this week has been on Saturday.

The normally prolific onballer gathered 20 disposals in the losing grand final last year against Brisbane, her lowest tally in her last 26 matches.

“Grand finals are sometimes tricky because they are low possessions games just because of how contested and stoppage focused it is,” she said.

“I like to think I played my role but there were some times in that game where I could have tightened up or got the ball forward to help the team.

“But I don’t reflect much on the grand final from last year. It’s more how we can get better as a team.”

The ball magnet will be a key player in the grand final. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos

After last year, the latest in a string of near-misses for the talented Roos, Riddell couldn’t be more desperate to finally win it all.

“It would be amazing not only individually but for the whole club … it would mean the world but obviously the proof is in the pudding and we have a lot of work to do before then,” she said.

And after then, Riddell will enjoy a short but well-deserved break from the classroom, hoping to spend that time celebrating a premiership.

“I get a couple days off next week. We were lucky that I went on school camp last week so I have a few days of time in lieu store up,” she said.

Originally published as AFLW grand final: North Melbourne star Ash Riddell continues classroom preparations for season decider