Brothers-in-law Glen Jobson and Errol Bill both represented Australia in hockey at the Olympics

Glen Jobson represented Australia in field hockey in Melbourne at the 1956 Olympics - the first Australian team to qualify for the games.

His brother-in-law Errol Bill made the Australian hockey team for Rome in 1960.

The pair grew up playing hockey in Braidwood, Crookwell and Goulburn - "where hockey was real big" Errol said - on different teams. Errol started as a 13 year old; Glen at age 15.

There was no Bradman-esque ping pong ball and cricket stump for the pair, just hours and hours of training on the oval, zipping the ball around their feet and learning to dart in different directions as quickly as possible. Over time the movements became effortless, almost subconscious.

Glen said his stickwork was such he could dribble through players as if they were not there.

Both represented Goulburn at the state championships - where they were selected for consecutive Olympic squads.

However the Olympics were a different experience in 1956 and 1960 compared to the current day.

Hockey wasn't professional when the two men were playing.

Glen had just two sticks which he bought himself and carried around tied together with string.

They were not paid. There were no sponsorships, no physios or massage therapists.

Everyone was playing because of their love for hockey.

READ MORE:

When he was selected in 1960, Errol was sent a fitness program by Hockey Australia which he had to complete by himself. He trained daily on the oval wearing jumpers, balaclavas and track pants trying to acclimatise to warmer Roman conditions.

He met the rest of the Australian hockey team on the plane en route to the Olympic games.

At the Olympics, he met an 18 year old Muhammad Ali - "God he was a big bloke," Errol said.

Both Glen and Errol continued playing into their 60s - Errol in the Australia over 40s, over 50s and over 55s.

The pair have watched the game of hockey change as it became televised and commercialised.

They lament the rule changes which have taken the skilled stickwork they spent so long honing out of the game, replaced by more long range passing, and harder hitting.

"Hockey used to be about stick work," Glen said, "but now everything has changed - the rules have all changed, the grounds are different."