For all the right reasons, Reece and Luke Conca hope they don’t play in the same Richmond team in 2014.

Luke is the older brother of Tigers’ midfielder Reece, who recently signed as a member of the Club’s new VFL team.

The 23-year-old was lured to the ME Bank Centre after winning Surrey Park’s Best and Fairest Award in the Eastern Football League in 2013, and joins an impressive playing group competing in its inaugural VFL season for Richmond.

While the brothers are close (they lived together in 2013), they selfishly hope their paths don’t cross on the playing field.
Luke is just pinching himself at the opportunity to join his brother at the same AFL club.

“Seeing his successes this year as a footballer, and I’ve probably been a little bit behind that, but to now be a part of it is amazing,” Luke Conca told Roar Vision.

“Hopefully he doesn’t play a game in the reserves, but if I got to play a game with him on the same field, that’d be amazing.  Our parents would be pretty proud.

“He definitely helped me when the boys first gave me the program during the year, because I was fresh to it.

“We had a few gym sessions here and it was so good to have someone there to ask questions and help me through it.”

Naturally, Reece can’t wait to track his older brother’s progress from close range.

“It’ll be good to have him around the Club.  Hopefully he can play a few games in the VFL, and it’ll be good to come down and have a watch,” he said.

“Hopefully I’m not playing with him, and I’ll be in the AFL, but it’s exciting times.”

Luke Conca sees himself as a midfielder or forward, with an intense attack on the football.

He admits he’ll be working hard on his fitness as the VFL season approaches, but he’s excited about what the new challenge will bring.

“It’s definitely the highest level I’ll ever play at.  It’s exciting.  Everyone’s been great.  I’m definitely going to try and make the most of it, and better my footy, and just learn as much as I can,” he said.