Who are the McKay twins? AFL duo prepare for first face-off in 9 years as Essendon take on Carlton on Sunday

AFL twins Ben and Harry McKay are set to play against each other for the first time ever in their nine-year careers on Sunday (June 9). The brothers were drafted into the league via the 2015 draft - Ben by the Essendon Bombers and Harry by Carlton Blues.

The identical twins’ clash has been highly anticipated by fans, but form and injuries have worked together to stall this for nine seasons. Ben and Harry McKay host a fan-favorite podcast together and would grace the same field in an AFL game for the first time at the MCG on Sunday night’s blockbuster showdown.

Carlton star forward Harry speaking on his first meeting with Ben at a joint press conference on Monday, described it as "surreal". He further said:

"If ever there was a week to be a bit cautious (at training), it might be this week. I was watching the last couple of minutes of Ben's game (against Gold Coast on Sunday) and had my fingers crossed, nothing happened."

Nearly 100,000 people are expected to be present at the ‘G for the clash between the two big clubs (and the brothers) – one of the past two decades’ rare occurrences.

Essendon sit second place on the ladder, while Carlton rose to fifth after their win against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval. Ben McKay said on their clash:

"It sort of feels right. It's a pretty big occasion and both teams are going well."

Ben McKay, Essendon's key defender believes, and rightfully so, that his line-up on Harry in Carlton’s front lines would make quite the side-plot in the already epic game.

Harry’s joking retort suggested that he wouldn't get past Carlton spearhead Charlie Curnow. He said:

"It's a 50-50 percentage of whether it's Harry or Charlie. Obviously the modern day you're going to spend time on everyone, so gone are the days where it's purely a one-on-one match-up. But we'll definitely be spending some time on each other."

Harry disclosed that the McKay family will be well represented in the stadium, in a corporate box that he organized. Ben, speaking on the family's presence at the game, said:

"There might be a dinner maybe mid-week. I think they (family) are excited, nervous ­– a bit of everything. Mum and dad will probably enjoy the limelight a little bit."

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Essendon Bombers v Carlton Blues match sold out

AFL Rd 13 - Carlton v Essendon

Come Sunday, the Essendon Bombers would go against Carlton Blues at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The clash is the first of its kind in the last two decades. The big clubs, ladder-wise, are expected to attract an audience of over 90,000 spectators.

Official X (formerly Twitter) accounts of both clubs have announced that general tickets for the game have been sold out.

"Keen = understatement 😤 General Public tickets for the 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership Season match – Essendon v Carlton on Sunday, 9th June at the MCG are sold out. This match is a fully ticketed event, with no further tickets to be released," tweeted Essendon FC.