Ben Read opens up on his Tasmanian hockey career

It was the kind of cold, restless afternoon that makes nerves harder to steady.

For University, chasing a first men’s Premier League title since 2002, it was never going to be straightforward.

When North‑West Graduates pushed ahead 2-1, the familiar dread undoubtedly crept in. This was a club that had been here before — three grand final defeats in close proximity, each one leaving scars.

This time University refused to fold, with player‑coach Ben Read dragging his side back into the contest. He scored to level the game at 2–2, and as the teams huddled at three‑quarter time, the memories of past heartbreaks loomed large.

“A couple of years ago, against the same team, we were in exactly the same scenario, and they ended up beating us 3–2,” he said.

“That was definitely in the back of my mind.”

Instead of history repeating, with the wind at their backs and belief coursing through them, University rewrote it with a final quarter surge. First, Oscar Sproule roofed a world class deflection to put Uni ahead. Fittingly, it was then Read who delivered the knockout blow, his second goal of the day sealing a 4–2 victory and ending 23 years of waiting.

As the final whistle blew, “it was mostly relief,” Read admitted. “To finally get it done was a weight off all our shoulders.”

This was more than a premiership. It was the summit of a personal Everest for Read. After 17 seasons for University, including grand final heartbreaks in 2018, 2020 and 2023, he transformed himself physically to lead from the front. Weighing 109kg and battling chronic knee pain, a brutal fitness program saw him shed 25 kilos and storm to the competition’s leading goal scorer award (28 goals).

The image of him grinding alone on the assault bike, sweat dripping, became the backdrop to his renaissance.

“In 2024, I was having to take painkillers just to train, but once I saw improvement in my knee pain it spurred me on to get properly fit,” he said.

The premiership was also the culmination of a family story. His father, Ken had been a Kookaburras goalkeeper in the 1970s before becoming a leading coach, administrator, and international tournament director, overseeing the men’s hockey at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2018, he was awarded Hockey Australia Life Membership for his decades of service.

At home, he even laid a synthetic cricket wicket in the backyard, where a young Ben would spend hours with stick and ball, waiting for his father to join him after work.

“I still go to him for coaching advice now – he’s my safety net when anything goes wrong,” Ben reflected.

That grounding shaped not just a player, but a coach and a teacher. Away from the pitch, Read works in the Jordan River Learning Federation after knocking back numerous offers to teach in other contexts. It was a moral choice and one that speaks to his values. His ability to form relationships, to see value in every individual, is what makes him effective in both classrooms and locker rooms.

Balancing the dual role of player‑coach is no easy gig.

“It’s a pretty tricky role and one I definitely haven’t mastered,” he said.

“I’m incredibly lucky to have Trent Sproule coaching with me and a squad who have a really positive outlook.”

His philosophy is simple: “When you take the easy option all the time, life is hard. But when you take the hard option all the time, life becomes easy.”

Continuing as head coach of the Tassie Tigers, Read now turns his attention to the Hockey One League’s return on October 12.

“We have an epic squad this year. The big thing is going to be ensuring we select a balanced team.”

He is excited about the league’s growth. “

Finally, hockey is on free‑to‑air TV and starting to get a big following. I’m really excited to see all the young kids take up the sport who are inspired by watching people like Eddie Ockenden play.”

Years from now, when the goals and scorelines fade, Read knows what will endure. “I would love for people to remember me as a fair coach who genuinely cares about his players. To me that’s more important than anything tactically.”

Above all, he knows none of it would be possible without the support of his fiancée, Carmen. “I’m definitely very lucky to have her in my life and I wouldn’t be able to do half the stuff I do without her support.”

For Read, the mountain has been climbed. But the view from the summit is not just about his own redemption — it’s about sacrifice, a father’s legacy, a belief in people, and an unwavering support network.

Written by Adam Clifford for the Mercury