TigermanM2
Norm Smith Medallist
- Mar 7, 2013
- 8,145
- 26,240
- AFL Club
- Richmond
Double trouble in Tigerland: Hosking twins reunite at Richmond
By Sarah Burt
January 6, 2022
The first time identical twins Sarah and Jess Hosking played footy together, they had one school lunchtime to rally a team to play at the local oval in Mount Eliza.
On Friday night, down the road at Frankston Oval, they will don the yellow and black of Richmond together for the first time, kicking off the sixth AFLW season against St Kilda.
“I’d heard that GSV [Girls Sport Victoria] was running a footy competition and I didn’t know why our school wasn’t offering it,” says Jess.
“I went to the head of sport and said ‘Sare and I want to play footy,’ and she said if we could have a full footy team by the end of lunchtime she’d enter it into the competition, so we ran around like lunatics. We were literally heckling everyone and, surprisingly, we got enough.”
Sarah laughs, adding that they had to wear “old woollen jumpers with the collars from back in the 1900s” until they could prove the team wasn’t going to cave after one game. But they made the grand final and “got pumped by nearly 100 points”.
The twins, who presumably will have to do less pleading to get their teammates to play on Friday night, spent the first 16 years of their lives in Mount Martha before the family moved to Mornington.
“We started our footy career … not career, but started playing out at Seaford,” Sarah says, stumbling over the mention of the word career, perfectly highlighting the pair’s down-to-earth attitude.
She describes how they had played netball “forever” but decided to give footy a go when the first AFLW season was announced.
“When they announced the competition before the 2017 season, that’s when we picked up footy because Jess saw there was a pathway and we thought we’d give it a go ... and that was probably the best decision we’ve made.”
The sisters were drafted to Carlton together in the AFLW’s maiden year and remained with the Blues until Sarah joined Richmond last year.
“We had never played against each other in any other sport, so it was weird,” says Jess.
“Even in netball trials, the coaches always thought it would be funny to put us on each other, but it was never a good idea because one of us would hurt the other – we were too competitive and, to be honest, we have probably made it to the level we have because we are so competitive with each other.”
Sarah agrees, but says it was a welcome chance to “stand on her own two feet”.
“When I decided to move from Carlton for that first year it was such a weird feeling, but I think we both had the excitement leading up to playing against each other,” she says.
“It was actually a lot of fun and probably gave us a bit of maturity and a chance to step away from each other. It sounds weird because we are 26 and our own people, but you do kind of take for granted being a twin and always being around each other.”
It seemed they were bound for another season apart, but Jess requested a last-minute trade to Punt Road, which she says was largely attributable to family ties.
“I just realised that our footy career isn’t going to be that long, probably maximum 10 years, if we’re lucky, so it’s pretty special to be able to play together, and ultimately that was one of the biggest decisions for me to move across. I wanted to play footy with Sare,” Jess says.
On what they had learnt from their season apart on rival teams, Jess says the independence was something she will continue to prioritise.
“Sare offered to give me a lift to the first Tigers training and introduce me to the team, but I said ‘no, I’m going by myself, I’m not walking in as your twin sister, I’m walking in as my own person’.
“I think had we not had that year apart, that I may have just sat in that shadow and let her introduce me.”
With the twins content being back on the same side, the logistics for the rest of the family have been simplified, particularly for their dad Mark, who already had a calendar to work out how to see both sisters’ games each week.
“Dad had already written everything out and booked flights, there was two flights in a day actually, they were going to Queensland for Sare’s game, and Adelaide for mine,” Jess says.
“I think they’re shattered that their frequent flyer points aren’t going to be as high this year.”
The Hoskings are still largely Peninsula-based and, although their sporting careers have evolved, some things at home remain the same.
“Back when Jess and I were playing netball seriously, we spoke a fair bit to Peta Murphy, the MP for Frankston [Dunkley] about the renovation of the local netball stadium. A couple of weeks ago we saw her tag us in a Facebook post about us playing back at the local [stadium] and it’s pretty cool to see that she’s still in that role, and we’re coming and giving back to that community that we have always been a part of,” says Sarah.
As things come full circle, they continue to reminisce on that first footy game and its lasting memories, laughing and talking over the top of each other.
“Just before the bounce we all ran off to go to the bathroom, then realised it was only set up for men.
“We didn’t have much choice, so you can use your imagination.”
They reflect after this that really wasn’t that long ago that female facilities just weren’t needed at a footy club, now they will have a local army behind them as take the national stage.
“We’ve had a ridiculous response from friends and past netball teammates, it’s also the first time Dad’s side of the family has been in Melbourne for 15 years, so they’re all coming,” says Jess.
The duo enjoys playing pranks on each other, which escalated when they were on opposing teams, including hair dye in shampoo and training kits thrown in the bottom of the pool. But now they’ve decided to join forces and focus their pranks on teammates, admitting there are some names who don’t ever leave the hit list.
“Captain Katie Brennan is quite serious, and she gets scared very easily, so she’s always at the top of the hit list,” Jess says.
“Mind you, I owe Sare the next prank because last time she got my eyebrows.”
By Sarah Burt
January 6, 2022
The first time identical twins Sarah and Jess Hosking played footy together, they had one school lunchtime to rally a team to play at the local oval in Mount Eliza.
On Friday night, down the road at Frankston Oval, they will don the yellow and black of Richmond together for the first time, kicking off the sixth AFLW season against St Kilda.
“I’d heard that GSV [Girls Sport Victoria] was running a footy competition and I didn’t know why our school wasn’t offering it,” says Jess.
“I went to the head of sport and said ‘Sare and I want to play footy,’ and she said if we could have a full footy team by the end of lunchtime she’d enter it into the competition, so we ran around like lunatics. We were literally heckling everyone and, surprisingly, we got enough.”
Sarah laughs, adding that they had to wear “old woollen jumpers with the collars from back in the 1900s” until they could prove the team wasn’t going to cave after one game. But they made the grand final and “got pumped by nearly 100 points”.
The twins, who presumably will have to do less pleading to get their teammates to play on Friday night, spent the first 16 years of their lives in Mount Martha before the family moved to Mornington.
“We started our footy career … not career, but started playing out at Seaford,” Sarah says, stumbling over the mention of the word career, perfectly highlighting the pair’s down-to-earth attitude.
She describes how they had played netball “forever” but decided to give footy a go when the first AFLW season was announced.
“When they announced the competition before the 2017 season, that’s when we picked up footy because Jess saw there was a pathway and we thought we’d give it a go ... and that was probably the best decision we’ve made.”
The sisters were drafted to Carlton together in the AFLW’s maiden year and remained with the Blues until Sarah joined Richmond last year.
“We had never played against each other in any other sport, so it was weird,” says Jess.
“Even in netball trials, the coaches always thought it would be funny to put us on each other, but it was never a good idea because one of us would hurt the other – we were too competitive and, to be honest, we have probably made it to the level we have because we are so competitive with each other.”
Sarah agrees, but says it was a welcome chance to “stand on her own two feet”.
“When I decided to move from Carlton for that first year it was such a weird feeling, but I think we both had the excitement leading up to playing against each other,” she says.
“It was actually a lot of fun and probably gave us a bit of maturity and a chance to step away from each other. It sounds weird because we are 26 and our own people, but you do kind of take for granted being a twin and always being around each other.”
It seemed they were bound for another season apart, but Jess requested a last-minute trade to Punt Road, which she says was largely attributable to family ties.
“I just realised that our footy career isn’t going to be that long, probably maximum 10 years, if we’re lucky, so it’s pretty special to be able to play together, and ultimately that was one of the biggest decisions for me to move across. I wanted to play footy with Sare,” Jess says.
On what they had learnt from their season apart on rival teams, Jess says the independence was something she will continue to prioritise.
“Sare offered to give me a lift to the first Tigers training and introduce me to the team, but I said ‘no, I’m going by myself, I’m not walking in as your twin sister, I’m walking in as my own person’.
“I think had we not had that year apart, that I may have just sat in that shadow and let her introduce me.”
With the twins content being back on the same side, the logistics for the rest of the family have been simplified, particularly for their dad Mark, who already had a calendar to work out how to see both sisters’ games each week.
“Dad had already written everything out and booked flights, there was two flights in a day actually, they were going to Queensland for Sare’s game, and Adelaide for mine,” Jess says.
“I think they’re shattered that their frequent flyer points aren’t going to be as high this year.”
The Hoskings are still largely Peninsula-based and, although their sporting careers have evolved, some things at home remain the same.
“Back when Jess and I were playing netball seriously, we spoke a fair bit to Peta Murphy, the MP for Frankston [Dunkley] about the renovation of the local netball stadium. A couple of weeks ago we saw her tag us in a Facebook post about us playing back at the local [stadium] and it’s pretty cool to see that she’s still in that role, and we’re coming and giving back to that community that we have always been a part of,” says Sarah.
As things come full circle, they continue to reminisce on that first footy game and its lasting memories, laughing and talking over the top of each other.
“Just before the bounce we all ran off to go to the bathroom, then realised it was only set up for men.
“We didn’t have much choice, so you can use your imagination.”
They reflect after this that really wasn’t that long ago that female facilities just weren’t needed at a footy club, now they will have a local army behind them as take the national stage.
“We’ve had a ridiculous response from friends and past netball teammates, it’s also the first time Dad’s side of the family has been in Melbourne for 15 years, so they’re all coming,” says Jess.
The duo enjoys playing pranks on each other, which escalated when they were on opposing teams, including hair dye in shampoo and training kits thrown in the bottom of the pool. But now they’ve decided to join forces and focus their pranks on teammates, admitting there are some names who don’t ever leave the hit list.
“Captain Katie Brennan is quite serious, and she gets scared very easily, so she’s always at the top of the hit list,” Jess says.
“Mind you, I owe Sare the next prank because last time she got my eyebrows.”
