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<\/p>\nFor years, Mitch and Henry Hore spent countless afternoons battling each other in the backyard growing up on Queensland\u2019s Sunshine Coast. Until just a few weeks ago, they were even sharing a house in Brisbane.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday night, however, the brothers will swap sibling rivalry for knockout football when they line up on opposite sides in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32, with Mitch aiming to help NPL Queensland side Lions FC pull off an upset against Henry\u2019s new club, Perth Glory.<\/p>\n
Football was rarely far away during the Hore brothers\u2019 childhood. Although the three-and-a-half-year age gap meant they seldom played in the same junior teams, both remember spending countless afternoons kicking a ball around in the backyard.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery afternoon we were kicking the ball together,\u201d Mitch recalled.<\/p>\n
Henry laughed as he remembered the fiercely competitive contests between the pair.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had some good battles there. We were both really competitive,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing the younger brother I used to get bullied a little bit, sometimes going crying to Mum and Dad. I think it just toughened me up and made me a better player.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the draw paired Lions with Perth Glory, both admit they immediately recognised the occasion. Mitch described the prospect of facing his younger brother as \u201ca bit exciting\u201d, while Henry said it was \u201cpretty cool\u201d and \u201cpretty special to play against my brother, but also against my old club as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
There has already been a little good-natured banter between the pair since the draw, but both expect that to dry up as kick-off approaches.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheres been a phone call or two, but as we get closer to the day, it\u2019ll probably go a bit quiet,\u201d Mitch states.<\/p>\n
Henry echoed those sentiments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, there\u2019s been a few messages here and there,\u201d he said. \u201cAs the game gets closer, we\u2019ll probably leave it until after the final whistle.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pair were teammates for two seasons at Lions FC but have only met once competitively, with Mitch\u2019s Bentleigh Greens drawing 1-1 against Henry\u2019s South Melbourne in the NPL Victoria. Another reunion appeared on the cards in the 2023 Australia Cup semi-finals, only for Henry to miss Brisbane Roar\u2019s clash with Melbourne Knights through suspension. This Tuesday though, they\u2019ll finally get the chance to renew their rivalry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The timing of the reunion is particularly striking given Henry only joined Perth Glory a matter of weeks ago, ending a five-year chapter with Brisbane Roar, where the attacking midfielder made more than 100 appearances.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old had been living with Mitch in Brisbane before heading west, but the transition has been eased by a previous spell at the club as a teenager.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve settled in really well,\u201d Henry said. \u201cI\u2019ve been here before, so I know a few mates and I know the area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry first moved to Perth back in 2017, joining Glory\u2019s youth set-up as he pursued his ambition of becoming a professional footballer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey showed some interest and I wanted to go professional,\u201d he explained. \u201cI thought I\u2019d take the gamble.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now back in Perth and preparing for his first competitive appearance since returning, Henry will make a swift trip back to the Sunshine State to face the club where he once played alongside his brother.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Whilst Henry prepares for his first competitive appearance in Perth colours, Lions enter the tie in the midst of an NPL Queensland title race, where at the time of writing they sit just one point behind leaders Peninsula Power. Mitch believes that could hand the hosts a slight edge, with the visitors still in the early stages of pre-season.<\/p>\n
Lions have enjoyed an outstanding campaign so far under Head Coach Dan Barber and remain firmly in the hunt for the NPL Queensland Premiership, with Mitch insisting that has been the club\u2019s primary focus from the outset.<\/p>\n
\u201cWinning the NPL Premiership has always been the objective at the start of the year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhilst we\u2019re taking the Australia Cup seriously, this game is a bit of a free hit. There have been upsets before.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGlory being early in their pre-season might help us a little bit, fitness-wise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry is under no illusions about the challenge awaiting Glory against a Lions side approaching the decisive stage of its domestic campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a tough game,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re probably at their peak at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re at the start of our preparation, so we\u2019re still getting better, still improving and building every day. It\u2019ll be a good contest.\u201d<\/p>\n
It won\u2019t be the first time Lions and Perth Glory have crossed paths in the Australia Cup, either.<\/p>\n
When the sides met in the Round of 16 in 2015, Lions held their A-League opponents scoreless until the 116th minute of extra time, when Chris Harold finally broke the deadlock to send Glory through with a hard-fought 1-0 victory.<\/p>\n
While both brothers will be desperate to come out on top, the divided loyalties in the Hore household mean it will be a memorable occasion for the family too.<\/p>\n
Henry joked his parents might be \u201cleaning a bit towards Lions\u201d after supporting the club for so many years, although he admitted they\u2019ll ultimately be happy whichever brother ends up on the winning side.<\/p>\n
Mitch, meanwhile, confessed he hasn\u2019t even asked where his parents\u2019 loyalties lie.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing as we\u2019re NPL and they\u2019re A-League, hopefully us!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once the whistle blows there will be little room for brotherly affection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both Mitch and Henry admitted there would be no holding back if they came together in a 50-50 challenge, with each determined to get the better of the other before the inevitable bragging rights are settled after the final whistle.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt won\u2019t really matter,\u201d Henry said. \u201cBut if it is Mitch, it\u2019ll be very good to win it and give him a bit of stick after the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite preparing to line up on opposite sides, Henry remains full of admiration for his older brother.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can run all day,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s one of his biggest traits, but he\u2019s technically very good as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Off the pitch, however, he couldn\u2019t resist one final dig.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can be a bit messy around the house!\u201d<\/p>\n
From childhood kickabouts in the backyard, to sharing a dressing room at Lions FC and, until recently, a home in Brisbane, football has shaped the Hore brothers\u2019 relationship for years. On Tuesday night, they\u2019ll spend 90 plus minutes trying to outdo one another. Once the final whistle sounds, however, that rivalry will be put on hold, and they\u2019ll simply be brothers again.<\/p>\n
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