South Warrnambool's Thompson brothers to celebrate football milestones on same day

But Saturday's Hampden league encounter between South Warrnambool and Portland will be a double celebration for the Thompson brothers.

Nick, 32, will notch his 200^th senior game for the Roosters and younger sibling Sam, 29, will make his 150^th appearance in red and white.

Off the field they're similar. On it is a different story.

"Sam is definitely the one that likes to yap a lot on the field," Nick laughed.

"He doesn't have a big brother to back him up because I am smaller than him so I don't know why he does it.

"On the field I don't say too much at all really."

The on-field banter is something Sam relishes.

"I just can't help myself," he said.

Nick and Sam played in the Roosters' 2011 premiership together.

Ten years on and the club is back in the premiership frame under coach Mat Battistello.

Sam said playing alongside Nick - one of his three siblings - in a flag would be even sweeter if it was to happen a second time.

"I'd come from Timboon and we'd won three premierships in juniors and then first year of seniors (at South Warrnambool) I won another one and thought 'ah this is pretty easy'," he said.

"You think it's going to last and it's been quite the opposite.

"The older you get, the more you start to appreciate it when you realise there's not going to be too many more opportunities left."

Nick knows South Warrnambool faces obstacles.

"It would be unreal but, being a realist, we've still got a bit of work to do," he said.

"Koroit are still a little way out in front unfortunately.

"We've definitely got a bit of talent on the list but I don't think we're gelling that well so hopefully we can make it come together a bit later in the year."

But the brothers know the other will give their all to get back to the grand final stage.

"Without pumping him up, he's a pretty handy player for the fact he can play in multiple positions," Nick said of Sam.

"He can almost be a key forward or back and play in the midfield which is pretty rare to find."

Sam rates Nick's tackling and in-and-under contested ball work and wishes the Roosters had a stronger team when he was "in his prime".

"He was a very good player for those middle years, it's just unfortunate our team wasn't strong at the time," he said.

The Thompsons grew up on a property near Timboon.

Nick, an electrician by trade, now works on the family dairy farm while raising children Tex, 3, Nash, 2, and Parker, four months, with wife Kelly.

Sam had planned to spend two years working and travelling overseas before the COVID-19 pandemic turned his adventure into a one-week Irish pitstop last year.

He is a builder whose partner Sarah works as a teacher at Timboon P-12.

Their parents Gary and Andrea are nearby and brothers Andrew, who lives in Melbourne, and Chris, known as 'Sheepy', who is based on the surf coast, aren't too far away either.

The Timboon area is home base but both Nick and Sam have ventured overseas for year-long stints.

Sam is unsure if his two-year COVID-ruined adventure with Sarah will come to fruition in the future as the world navigates travel restrictions.

If not, he might join Nick on the farm.

"I am still half interested in it. Initially I didn't want to do it because I didn't want to work the weekends," he laughed.

"The older I am getting it doesn't faze me too much if I have to work weekends expect for footy."

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