Jae and Blake Dickinson have spent most of their lives on the same basketball court, so it’s somewhat fitting the brothers are both set to celebrate their 200 game milestone on Saturday night.
Despite Jae starting his Big V career with the Craigieburn Eagles earlier, injuries and other factors have meant that the brothers will reach the milestone on the same night, joining rare company at the club.
“It’s pretty crazy it has worked out that way,” Blake said ahead of Saturday night.
“We’ve tried tracking it and of course, I tried to leapfrog him.
Jae added, “We’d always be saying who has more games, but we could never really find an answer.
“It’s kind of random that it’s the same day.”
Basketball has always been in their blood, with their parents meeting through the sport.
The brothers started playing basketball in a family team at junior level, coached by their uncle. Both began representative basketball for the Eagles in under-14 and progressed through the ranks. Jae the older of the two, made his Big V debut in 2007 in the senior side as a 17-year-old.
“I had a few cousins in the team as well, which was pretty cool,” Jae said.
“It was exciting, and I was always sort of tall as a junior so fitted in at a young age.
“I started straight into the men’s side, but when maybe when I was 20-21 they started a youth league team and I went back down there for a couple of seasons.”
Blake followed in his brother’s footsteps and a year later made his Big V debut.
Like Jae, he started in the senior team, before combining that and youth league later on.
Both brothers said while there was a little bit of rivalry between them, there had been few issues on the court.
“It always felt we were in the same team and you’d always go home and critique the games together, and mum and dad would be watching,” Jae said. “You talk about this and that and it’s something I’ve always had and haven’t known anything different.
“We learned to play together and the coach tells us off at training sometimes when we just look for each other.”
Blake added: “At some training sessions we get into each other.
“There’s not too many issues between us and we get along well. It’s someone to go home and dissect the game with.”
Both said the 2012 division championship is the highlight of their careers.
Several players from that team have played 200 games, including Rob Toller-Bond. Matt Welch is expected to join the 200 club later this season.
The Eagles will raise banners onto their wall on Saturday night to recognise the milestone.
“It’s definitely up there,” Blake said. “It’s good to be on the wall and there’s not too many up there.
“We’ve pretty much played with all the boys up there [on the banners] and seen everyone.”
Jae said there would be plenty of family at the game watching.
Neither brother has any plans to hang up the sneakers any time soon and are keen to get another championship this year.
Last season the Eagles finished minor premiers, before missing out on the grand final.
