Sydney derby pits McGowan brothers, Dylan and Ryan, against each other

For sibling rivals Dylan and Ryan McGowan, mum is likely to have the final say in any controversy in the Sydney derby.

Western Sydney Wanderers defender Dylan McGowan, left, with his brother, Sydney FC player Ryan McGowan. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Move over Kris Griffiths-Jones, there’s a new video assistant referee in the house.

Because if there’s an incident between Sydney derby opponents Dylan and Ryan McGowan, their mother Theresa is probably best equipped to conduct the review.

“Mum got here on Wednesday to referee on Saturday,” Dylan said. “I think mum’s in control of the VAR — she’s been doing it for years. She’s got the most experience of what to do and where to send us.”

When they were kids in Adelaide it was often to their room, the simplest solution to regular “brotherly spats” between typically competitive siblings.

But ever since July, when 28-year-old Dylan signed for Western Sydney and 30-year-old Ryan for Sydney FC, the focus has been less backyard scraps and more the A-League’s feistiest clash.

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Saturday’s top-of-the-table derby in front of up to 30,000 at Bankwest Stadium will mark the first time the pair have played against each other competitively.

It’s a foreign feeling for two defenders used to discussing just about every element of each other’s game.

“We still talk to each other about our performances and our game and stuff, even though we’re on opposite sides of the divide,” Dylan said. “Now we just have to leave a little bit more of the team information out than what we’re used to.”

That’s some feat given they’ve lived in each other’s pockets for much of their lives. With Scottish heritage and plenty of cousins, both could kick a ball almost as soon as they could walk.

“Every Christmas, every birthday, you’d get the present bounced over to you, wrapped up,” Dylan said. “I wonder what that is? But it was great.”

They moved to Edinburgh together as teenagers to join Hearts, sleeping side-by-side on single beds in the same bedroom of a billeted home.

Dylan, 16 at the time, fondly remembers his fake ID and “just basically like living in a frat house”.

Ryan, then 18, recalls cleaning the senior players’ boots.

“We had a really good actual footballing upbringing over there, where you work 8am-4pm,” Ryan said.

“You train only once or twice, then the rest of the time you’re mopping floors or cleaning boots, and you’d have a whole heap of jobs to do as a youth player to keep you grounded.

“It’s really helped us throughout our career to appreciate where we are now, and now we get to go to training and go play golf instead of standing in the freezing cold washing boots.”

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH