It appears Robyn Broughton's tenure as coach of the Steel is over after the board announced its intention to advertise the position.
"The last two days have been hectic and I haven't had timeZealand Under-21 team and its Australian counterpart next month.
"I will consider it after the under-21 series," she said.
Southby, the mother of girls aged 5 and 7, has good credentials for the job. She played for the Western Flyers before shifting to Dunedin to captain the Otago Rebels in 2002-03.
Southby began her coaching career with the Rebels as assistant to Lois Muir in 2005. She was assistant coach of the New Zealand Under-21 team in 2008 and 2009 and became head coach last year.
There are four Otago players in the New Zealand Under-21 team: Gina Crampton (wing attack), Shannon Francois (midcourt), Storm Purvis (defence) and Te Paea Selby-Rickit (shooter).
Crampton, a second-year student at the University of Otago, played for Wellington age-group teams before coming to Dunedin.
"She has been on our radar for the last two years and clinched her selection with a strong under-19 tournament last year," Southby said.
It is the second year in the team for Francois, a fourth-year pharmacy student, who was in the Otago national championship team last year.
Purvis, a first-year student at the Otago, was in the New Zealand secondary schools team last year.
Selby-Rickit, a member of the Southern Steel squad, and Purvis are two of the six players in the under-21 squad who will be eligible for the world championships in Glasgow in 2013.
NZ Under-21
Netball squad
Amber Bellringer (Pulse), Sheridan Bignall (Pulse), Gina Crampton (Otago), Kayla Cullen (Mystics), Sophia Fenwick (Steel), Shannon Francois (Otago), Julianna Naoupu (Magic), Storm Purvis (Otago), Te Paea Selby-Rickit (Steel), Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick (Magic), Jo Trip (Tactix), Portia Woodman (Mystics).
