ALMOST a decade in the making. 

This Sunday should mark the first time twins Harry and Ben McKay line up against each other in an AFL match – and the occasion just happens to be one of the biggest on the AFL calendar. 

Carlton will take on Essendon in front of a sold-out MCG on Sunday night, where full-forward Harry could very well be manned by brother and Bombers' backman Ben. 

Due to various reasons (including form, injury and suspension), the two have never played in a game against each other at the elite level during their AFL careers, with Ben playing for North Melbourne up until this year. 

The Carlton spearhead was assured that he wasn’t going to be rattled by the prospect, treating the game for what it was: a clash against the arch rivals in Essendon. 

“Regardless of who you’re playing, I think Essendon and Carlton is always a big game and every time you get to represent the Club and play AFL is exciting,” McKay said. 

“I think with the element of Ben and me playing [is cool], but once the ball is bounced, our focus will be on the game.”

Harry has had an extremely solid season, kicking 28 goals in 13 games, as well as having an impact up the field with his contested marking, ranking second in the competition (behind only teammate Charlie Curnow).

Ben is settling well into an emerging Bombers side, who have put together an impressive stretch of football in the first half of the season. 

With the two being competitors since birth, they both conceded that there will be an element of head-to-head competition, whether they play directly on each other or not. 

“It was always us against each other in every competition, backyard, sport and school, pretty much anything you could think of. The competition is pretty familiar for us,” Harry said. 

“In the matchups in modern footy, it’s not necessarily always one-on-one. But as long as we win, it would be nice to kick a couple, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

The Essendon v Carlton clash is highly anticipated, with both sides sitting as top-eight competitors for the first time in a while. 

Happy for his brother, Harry expressed his joy at seeing Ben in their childhood team colours and being able to be a part of such a fierce rivalry . . . one where he's well and truly on the Navy Blue side nowadays.

“We both grew up Essendon fans. The layer of Ben playing for Essendon, such a big club, seeing him in those colours is still a little bit strange,” he said. 

“I think jokingly we’ve said that we’ve waiting for a big occasion, two big clubs and two big rivals as it is will be amazing and it adds a layer. 

“It’s been great to see him transition to a club that has been playing really good footy. He definitely looks at home in the red and black and he’s been playing some good footy, so it will be a good challenge.”