Ed and Tom Phillips are like any other brothers who grew up in Melbourne, well, sort of.

Growing up they were inseparable; bound by their shared love of football, they would often be spotted at their local park kicking a Sherrin with their father Anthony.

Where they differ from most other brothers in Melbourne is the fact that they’ve not only made it to the big-time, but also shared the truly bizarre experience of lining up on each other as direct opponents.

The Phillips brothers are incredibly similar athletes.

They’re both elite endurance runners, they’re both wingmen, and physically, they’re nearly identical, measuring exactly 187cm and weighing 80kg.

Younger brother Ed credits Tom as playing a key role in the Saint making it to the AFL and admits he’s always looked up to his older brother.

“Tommy was always there and willing to help out, and he’s played a pretty special role in my development,” he told saints.com.au.

“He was a great inspiration for me, especially in my top-age year playing in the Oakleigh Chargers. Because he was obviously in the system, I got some good insights from him … then it was a great feeling to be able to join him (in the AFL).”

Tom was drafted by Collingwood in 2015 and made his debut in his first year at the club, while for Ed, taken by the Saints at the end of 2016, it was a year-long wait before a senior opportunity knocked.

PODCAST: Ed Phillips on Behind The Crest

“(Making your debut) is something that you’ve aspired to do as a young kid,” the 20-year-old said.

“The day I found out, I was proud of myself but mainly just really happy with the work I’d done to get there, and very thankful for the coaches to put their faith in me.

“Tommy was pretty excited as well. Probably the few weeks leading up he was always saying, ‘Are you gonna be in this week? Are you gonna be in this week?’. He was probably more excited as well because we played Collingwood the week after I came in.”

WATCH: Ed makes his debut

It was a moment that encapsulated the hearts and minds of sports fans everywhere, to see two brothers and best mates make their way over to each other before the heat of battle, but Ed revealed it wasn’t completely accidental.

“I was talking to ‘Sincs’ (Jack Sinclair) who was on the other wing, and I sort of said to him, whichever wing Tommy goes to, I’ll go and I’ll meet him there,” Ed said.

“We knew it was going to be a pretty cool experience, and the day of the game, we went for a little walk and a bit of a kick down at the local park, which was pretty funny, and I ended up seeing him later on at Etihad.”

Their initial encounter at the edge of the centre square was a mix of playful brotherly love and a serious focus on the game about to start.


“We’re pretty close, so it was always going to be a pretty friendly sort of encounter,” said Ed.

“It was just cheeky sort of stuff (that was said). At that point, you’re pretty focused on the game, so you say some random stuff, but I was pretty focused on just playing.”

The Saints eventually went down by 28 points, and only at the final siren did Ed allow himself to appreciate the experience.

“When the game was finished, we spoke a bit more and that’s probably when we realised how special it was and got to just soak it up for a bit after the game which was good,” he said.

“It’s another great experience that I’ll never forget, to be able to say that we not only have played at the top level but ended up coming up against each other.”

The most disposals on debut for the Saints in 25 years

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The magnitude of the moment wasn’t lost on Tom, either.

“It was great to play against my brother, Ed, wearing the number 30 for St Kilda,” he told Collingwood Media.

“It was a great sort of buzz … yeah, spine-tingling when you’re out there next to your brother, it’s amazing.”

Ed Phillips has slotted in seamlessly this year, averaging over 20 disposals at nearly 80% efficiency, and Saints fans can look forward to seeing a lot more of the running machine for years to come.