It can unleash the fiercest competitive instincts in people while also maintaining a healthy notion of respect.
Lions Senior Coach Michael Voss understands all too well the battles between brothers.
Growing up with his younger brother Brett, a former AFL player himself with the Lions and St Kilda, you can only imagine the sorts of clashes the Voss kids had in the backyard of their Queensland home.
They went through the junior AFL ranks together, were team-mates at the Lions and then became opponents once Brett joined St Kilda. While their bloodlines ran strong, there was no sympathy for each other once they crossed the white line.
Now Michael Voss and his Brisbane Lions chargers are faced with a new local rival in the form of the newest member of the Queensland AFL family - the Gold Coast Suns.
The Lions have provided an AFL presence in Queensland for 25 years (including ten years as the Bears) and have helped establish the code in the previously foreign football State.
While second AFL side in Queensland presents a wonderful opportunity for further growth of the game, you can guarantee that the Lions won’t be extending any favours towards its new cross-town rivals.
And that begins this Sunday at Southport, when the Lions and Suns go head-to-head for the first time since Queensland’s second AFL team was officially ‘born’ in 2009.
It might only be a NAB Challenge pre-season practice match, but all fans will get their first glimpse of what promises to be a healthy rivalry between these two sides over a number of years.
Speaking ahead of the highly anticipated clash, Voss likened the match-up to a family feud and said his team was looking forward to the ongoing challenge.
“It will be good to go up against our little brothers for the first time and start up our own sibling rivalry,” Voss said.
“There’s no doubt the game will be a little bit more heated than usual considering the circumstances.”
“But at the same time, it’s just another pre-season game and our eyes still remain focussed firmly on getting our preparations right for when we play Fremantle in Round 1 at the Gabba.”
The Brisbane Lions will play Gold Coast this Sunday 13 March at Southport at 3pm.
