Michael Voss tried to "bash" his younger brother whenever they crossed paths at AFL level but has urged Carlton star Tom De Koning to treat sibling Sam like any other player in a heavyweight clash between two premiership contenders.
The De Koning brothers loom as key figures for opposing sides when the high-flying Blues (5-1) take on unbeaten Geelong (6-0) at the MCG on Saturday night.
Tom is coming off a career-high three goals in last week's comeback win over GWS and will assist Marc Pittonet in a ruck battle with Rhys Stanley.
The 24-year-old will cross paths with his younger brother and Cats key defender Sam, with the pair likely to spend most of their time deep in Carlton's attacking zone.
"You can handle that in different ways but I certainly hope he treats it like it's another jumper," Voss said on Friday.
"It's hard not to, but there's obviously an emotional buy-in there.
"I'm not sure how Tom went in the backyard against Sam - I'm not sure who won most of the dust-ups - but I'm hoping he gets the upper hand this weekend."
Then a Brisbane Lions champion, Michael Voss played against Brett Voss 10 times after his younger brother's move from Queensland to St Kilda in 2001, for six wins and four losses.
"I tried to bash him as much as I could. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't," Voss recalled.
"It's always an interesting battle but in some ways Tom's brothers this week are the players he's playing with and that's all he needs to know."
A premiership backman in 2022, the 23-year-old Sam De Koning will play his 50th game for Geelong in the clash with his brother.
He's played against Tom twice, for one win apiece.
"I really think of Sam being a mainstay of our team and it sort of took me by surprise," Cats coach Chris Scott said on Friday.
"When someone said he had a milestone, I was hedging more towards (it being) 100 than 50.
"He's a very young player, there's a lot of footy in front of him, but he's already crucial to us.
"There's no better stage (for the milestone). I don't know how he feels about playing against his brother - I don't bring it up with him - but more important is you get to play in front of a virtually sold-out MCG on a Saturday afternoon.
"It's pretty cool."
Geelong's star defender Tom Stewart is unavailable because of concussion protocols while No.1 ruckman Stanley and Zach Tuohy will return to action against the Blues.
Premiership midfielder Cam Guthrie is also back for his first game in 12 months after recovering from last year's foot surgery and a pre-season quadriceps injury.
"He's been in full training for well over a month with a plan to get him straight back into the AFL team," Scott said.
"It's been a well thought through process and this has been the plan all along.
"You could say he hasn't played AFL football for a long time but that would be ignoring the pre-season and the preparation he's had over the last six weeks in particular."
Carlton have named an unchanged line-up with Voss declaring Jacob Weitering (hamstring) and Zac Williams (calf) certain starters despite both copping knocks last week.
Key defender Weitering's fitness is a huge boost for the Blues as they seek to shut down Geelong's star talls Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron.
Cameron starred with six goals from 25 disposals last time the teams met - back in round two last year - although Carlton emerged as narrow winners.
