Hawkesdale captain Kurt and Killarney skipper Brayden will lead their sides in the Grassmere Cricket Association two-day final this weekend.

The family ties extend beyond the Koroit-based pair.

Brayden will play alongside his brother Kyle at the Crabs and his brother-in-law Ben Julius will line-up for the Cats.

Kurt turns 27 on Sunday and is hoping to celebrate with a Hawkesdale drought-breaking flag.

Brayden, who played in Killarney’s first two-day flag three years ago, has different plans.

“It’s a fairytale – it’s just a shame not all fairytales end happily,” he said tongue-in-cheek of his cousin’s birthday falling on grand final day.

“Nah, it’s a good thing for cricket to have three and four playing in the grand final after knocking one and two off, especially for Hawkesdale to do what they did.”

Kurt said the Cats, who scraped into the finals with a final-round outright victory, would embrace underdog status.

“It’s been over 35 years since we’ve played in one,” he said.

“We are just riding a bit of a wave at the minute. We are lucky to even be playing finals, let alone a grand final.”

Kurt, who is coming off a knee reconstruction and is hoping to return to the football field with Hawkesdale-Macarthur later this year, is wary of Brayden’s bowling prowess.

Brayden has 37 wickets to his credit, including a six-wicket semi-final haul.

“He’s won the league wickets for the association, so he’s the best bowler in the comp I’d say,” Kurt said.

“He’s going to bowl from one end all day. I’d say they’ll only use two bowlers, maybe three.”

Brayden knows Kurt is one to watch too.

“He’s just honest, just plays a good brand of cricket,” he said.