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Henry brothers prepare to face off in AFL

3 minute read

AFL draft prospect Oliver Henry is ready to resume his backyard duels with older brother - Geelong defender Jack Henry - if he's drafted to a rival club.

AFL draft prospect Oliver Henry dreams of lining up alongside older brother Jack in Geelong's hoops but will settle for resuming their backyard tussles in different colours.

The Henry boys grew up a stone's throw from Kardinia Park, barracking for the Cats and playing for St Mary's, then Geelong Falcons - in between competing for household honours.

"He always had a foot (of height) on me in the backyard," Oliver Henry said.

"So I've grown up with a bit of a tough edge, I guess, knowing that he's always battered me up."

Key defender Jack, 22, is a regular member of Geelong's back six, while his similarly high-leaping younger brother has predominantly played forward - basing his game on Collingwood star Jeremy Howe.

Playing against his older brother appears the most likely draft outcome for Oliver, given he is rated as a potential first-round pick and Geelong don't have a selection until the second round.

The junior Henry is also set for a very different experience to his more experience sibling, who missed out on draft night in 2016 and had to wait until pick 16 in that year's rookie draft to land at the Cats.

"Jack's draft week was a bit different to mine I guess - he got picked up in the rookie draft and it was a bit bigger of a draft," Henry said.

"He just said 'really just control what you can, enjoy it because you're not going to get this time again'.

"So that's what I'm doing and I'm ready for whatever will happen."

While admitting it was "difficult" watching from afar as Jack fought his way through to an AFL grand final in Queensland, along with missing his face-to-face guidance in his draft year, Oliver takes pride in his older brother's achievements.

"He's showed me you can progress and do things people might not have thought," Henry said.

"He's a role model of mine and I've always aspired to be like him."

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