Jingellic dairy farmers work hard to follow their sons' footy

Alex and Cooper Daly play for Wodonga Raiders in the Ovens and Murray Football League, so Noel and Meaghan start milking 180 cows at 4.45am, so they have time to make the 90-minute trip to Wodonga and further for away games.

"The routine is to do the milking, and make sure the calves are fed, the hay and silage is done before we can get out the door," Meaghan said.

"We never used to go to away games until this year, we've finally found a relief milker, so he comes in on a Saturday afternoon, so we can come in later and feed calves."

The boys and older brother Jarrod played juniors at Border-Walwa, where father Noel is a 350-game life member.

"He should have had a crack at the O and M, but because we milk cows, his mum and dad wouldn't allow him to do that, that's why he's determined for the boys to go and have a crack and it's been good," Meaghan said. The boys now live and work on the Border, but make the trip, when possible.

"You've got to nurture your kids, they'll tell you that I'm the Fat Controller," Meaghan laughs.

"I think the boys appreciate the effort we put in to watch them play football."

Meaghan will look for an early Mother's Day present when Raiders travel to Wangaratta Rovers in a crucial clash, with ex-Raiders' mentor Daryn Cresswell now at the Hawks.

"We're friends with the Hourigans and they're Rovers, so we'll heckle them and Cresswell a bit," she laughs.