Ash White never does anything by halves.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Gunnedah product takes pride in his commitment, whether that be to his work, personal life, or sporting endeavours.
And for years, White has been the Boggabri Kangaroos' jack of all trades.
But this year, it all started to weigh on the 22-year-old.
"I fell out of love with footy for a bit, to be honest," White said.
"I was not enjoying it and couldn't find the energy to get to training ... I was umming and ahhing about 'Do I go around again? Do I play again?'"
White is unsure exactly what caused his malaise, but suspects it was linked to some personal issues with which he was dealing at around the same time.
Whatever the case, he credits Kangaroos coach Shane Rampling with helping to pull him out of the rut by offering him a new challenge.
"I actually played a few games of reserve grade this year," White said.
"Shane dropped me back, and I was happy to go back and get the basics right again ... I think it helped. It definitely made me want to get my first grade spot back.
"It challenged me. That's the key word, I think. I love a challenge."
In short, it worked.
White rebounded after his stint in reserve grade and is "loving it now, I'm 110 per cent committed".
That level of commitment is a fundamental characteristic of White's. Part of his dilemma when feeling low earlier in the year was the concern that he wouldn't be fully invested.
"How I see it is if you can't commit to a team, don't be there. That's how I was feeling, I was playing and wasn't giving 100 per cent," he said.
After one year in the Kangaroos' under 18s in 2018, White returned to the club's senior ranks for good in 2020. Since then, he has become a permanent utility across the backs.
He often plays on the wing, at fullback, or in the halves as needed, and has even kicked several conversions this year.
"I just do what the coach and the team needs. I'm happy to play anywhere and give it a red-hot crack," White said.
"I just do whatever is best for the team."
With Boggabri riding a three-game win streak after their mercy rule victory over Wee Waa on Sunday, White expects the rest of his teammates to be similarly determined against an in-form Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters outfit this weekend.
The Roosters and Kangaroos are second and third on the first grade ladder respectively with three wins apiece.
Despite the disparity in their results in recent years, as the Roosters have made finals consistently while Boggabri have fallen just short of the top four, White said the "belief [that we can beat top sides] has always been there".
And, with Saturday's game to take place at Jubilee Oval in Boggabri, he knows that the Kangaroos' unfailingly avid fans will turn out in force.
"It's a small town with big heart," White said.
"Our fans are unreal, they turn up no matter what the weather. They're always there supporting us, even when we weren't doing so well.
"I think that's what makes the boys so hungry to win, to give back to those fans."
