MUST BE a McBrother thing.

It’s not quite the curious case of Harry and Ben McKay, who have been in the AFL system since 2016 and are yet to play against one another at the elite level. 

However, Mitch and Jeremy McGovern goes pretty close. Since Mitch was drafted a year before the McKay boys, the McGoverns have played against each other only three times  — and not once since Mitch’s arrival at IKON Park at the end of 2018.

That strike rate looked set to improve tomorrow afternoon, after Mitch starred for Carlton last weekend while Jeremy played his second consecutive game for West Coast after a lengthy injury layoff. When this interview was organised with the McGoverns, it was under the expectation that the two brothers would finally come up against one another this weekend at AFL level.

However, a delayed concussion means the premiership Eagle won’t feature on Saturday at Marvel Stadium, to the disappointment of Mitch — but also, a little bit of relief for dad Andrew.

“I haven’t faced him since I’ve been at Carlton, so we were looking forward to it! We’ve got the whole family over,” Mitch said to Carlton Media on Friday.

“Personally, I don’t like them playing against each other, so I’m okay with Jeremy not playing” was the response from Andrew.

Mitch adds: “So you don’t have to barrack for one or the other”.

It’d be a fair headache for Andrew, who has no shortage of club paraphernalia to sort through at his home in WA. Not only does he have Jeremy at West Coast and Mitch at Carlton (plus Adelaide beforehand), but he has his own bias towards Sydney and Fremantle — the two clubs he played for in the 1990s.

With a handful of clubs to pick from, his loyalties currently lie with the two his sons feature for right now. That’s never going to be more evident than this Saturday, when a whole clan of them turn up for what they’ve dubbed the McGovern Derby.

And that’s der-by, not dar-by. “It’s a West Australian thing”, according to Mitch.

“Generally I don’t wear any hats with team colours, but I thought I’d put it on for this interview. I’ve got Sydney, Fremantle, Adelaide, an Adelaide and West Coast jumper, and now a Carlton and West Coast jumper,” Andrew said.

“Hopefully the family is wearing them in the crowd on game day. They’ve got 50-50, Carlton and West Coast, with No.11 on the Navy Blue and No.20 on West Coast’s,” Mitch added.

“It’s pretty cool. The whole family was so excited to wear them on the weekend, but now we might have to buy them just some Blues jumpers since he won’t be out there!”

The timing was perfect for Andrew, with the McGoverns flying across from Perth for the game — just as it coincided with ‘dads day’ at IKON Park.

You don’t need to ask Mitch twice when it comes to the inspiration his family has provided him.

“For the playing group, it’s pretty awesome to get the dads in: we also had our mums in earlier this year. It’s about the Club’s appreciation for what they did for us before we came to the Club.

“I know personally in terms of what Dad means to me, what he’s done for me and the upbringing he’s given me, it’s pretty special. We wouldn’t be where we are without them.”

Any last words from Dad?

“That’s true.”

He’s not wrong, it is true.

“Living in WA, it’s great to be able to attend: it was just a coincidence that the timing was really good.

“Getting a better understanding of his work environment . . . particular how complicated the AFL is these days . . . plus his teammates and having a chat to the other dads, because we’ve got a few things in common!

“It’s great to be a part of it, we’re lucky to be a part of it.”