Brothers Tom (23) and Lewis (19) Jackson both play for Caversham in the winter and Southern United in the summer, Tom for the senior team and Lewis the youth side.
Tom will play his first game in six months against Auckland City in the ASB Premiership tomorrow.
He was found guilty of physically assaulting referee Bernie McCone in April.
The incident occurred in a match between Green Island and Caversham at Tahuna Park, when the striker shoulder-charged McCone after the final whistle.
Tom, who played football in the United States for Marshall University on a scholarship from 2010 to 2013, said he learned a lot being confined to the sideline.
''It's a lot harder being a spectator than a player, I tell you. I learned that for the first time this season.
''It was frustrating, but at least we [Caversham] won the league. I was still able to train with the lads and I helped as much as I could.
''I've taken a huge learning curve from it. Life deals you the cards and you have got to play the cards you are dealt.'While his older brother was sidelined, Lewis took care of scoring goals - netting nine in a championship-winning season.
Lewis, who has scored four goals in the Southern United youth team's first three games, including two in last week's 2-1 win over Wellington, switched to Caversham the past season after two years with the Green Island premier side.
''Tom was a factor [in the move], definitely. As much as I enjoyed Green Island, I felt that I needed to move to Caversham. I thought it was time. They wanted me there and I wanted to go,'' he said.
The brothers, who were born in Chester, England, and are ''massive'' Liverpool fans, were denied the chance to play a full season together up front after Tom's suspension, but were already looking forward to combining next winter.
''I'm not going to let him beat me to the golden boot,'' Tom said, laughing.
Lewis will have to more than double his efforts for Caversham last season to beat his brother's highest tally for the club, 18.
However, he knows how to find the back of the net and once scored 30 goals in a season, albeit when he was 10.
While they were born in Chester, they lived in Northern Wales before moving to Dunedin with their family in 2004.
As well as sharing a favourite club, they share a favourite player: Liverpool attacker Raheem Sterling.
Tom, who trialled with the Wellington Phoenix last year, started playing football when he was about 5 and made his younger brother kick a ball before he could even walk.
Despite six months on the sideline, the older brother, who played a season for what was then Otago United in 2008-09, does not think he will be rusty in his first game back and feels his team is set for a good campaign.
''I imagine I will be back to my old self ... speed, being a defender's worst nightmare, really. Just constantly hassling them [the opposition] and trying to make them make a mistake.
''I think we have got a very good chance of doing a lot better than we have done in previous years. We have got a very good squad. Coaches Mike [Fridge] and Tony [Martin] are pushing us really hard. They are demanding the best from us.
''We are really hoping to push on and get some big results and finally make football fans down here proud of Southern United.''
Lewis, a civil engineering student at Otago Polytechnic, is aiming to score at least 10 goals in his third season for the youth team.
His side opened the season with a goalless draw against Auckland City earlier this month, but is unbeaten with two good wins since.
Both players have aspirations of playing at a higher level, including for New Zealand, but are not looking too far ahead.
''Obviously, that's every player's goal [playing international football]. But, realistically, we have to have good seasons for the teams we are in now and then see what happens after that,'' Tom said.
-by Robert Van Royen
