The Betts', Whites and Tilburgs are all Panthers in season 2023

It's because come Sunday when Panthers line up against Dubbo CYMS across four grades, there will be a distinct family feel.

Not only will Panthers stalwarts the Betts' be there to lead the way once more, two of them will do it as captain-coaches.

Jake Betts is guiding the Panthers in the Peter McDonald Premiership which includes his brother Jedd, while for the first time Georgie Betts is coaching the league tag outfit.

But that's not where the family connections end.

Brothers McCoy and Hudson White form part of Panthers' first grade forward pack just as they did last season, while sister Menzi will make her debut for the club in the league tag side.

Then there's new first grade five-eighth Nick Tilburg and his sisters Sonia, Sophie and Ella who have also signed up this season with the league tag outfit.

"It does have that family feel, we never really sort of pushed it that way, but I think it's good," Panthers president Dave Hotham said.

"The Betts' have been there since day one and you wouldn't get better club people than the Betts'.

"Georgie's coaching league tag and Jake is coaching first grade and Jedd, he's been in first grade for a fair while. They do a lot of work around the club.

"The Whites were more than happy to come over from St Pat's and they've said it's one of the best clubs they've been at.

"It's good to see the Tilburgs come back too, Nick spent a bit of time in Sydney.

"We had a yarn to Nick and showed that we were interested in him and then the girls sort of came along with him. They all joined around the same time.

"One thing that we do at our club is make people feel welcome."

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While having three sets of siblings all playing at the same time is something special, Panthers have benefitted from sibling combinations in the past as well.

In last season's Group 10 reserve grade premiership winning outfit there were the Gunn brothers Joe and Ben as well as Kevin and Thomas Large plus their cousin Lachie.

Before that, there was a time that sisters Amy and Jess Hotham were carving up in Panthers' league tag side while their brother Trent acted as a utility for first grade, spending time at both hooker and halfback.

Another tag star who went on to represent Group 10, Claire Woolmington, had her brothers James and Matt play with Panthers as well.

Former captain-coach Dave Elvy and his brother Sam saw some first grade football together at Panthers in the mid-2000s.

The Bateup brothers enjoyed a special afternoon in black in 2007 when all three - Aidan, Aaron and Josh - ended up with Group 10 premiership medals around their necks.

Aaron captain-coached Panthers to a first division premiership that year, while younger siblings Aidan and Josh both played key roles in the 24-4 premier league grand final win over Lithgow.

Two years prior to that in 2005, the trio were the first set of three brothers to contest a premier league grand final since Orange CYMS players Tom, Pat and Luke Commins won the 1958 grand final 17-6 over Oberon.

In 2009 Narromine brothers Mitch and Tim Smith were amongst Panthers' big recruits.

Mitch, who had spent time at both the Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers prior to signing with the Bathurst club, lined up in the centres.

Tim spent time at hooker and in the back row.

Six years later in 2015, Todd Barrow signed on to captain-coach Bathurst Panthers as the first chapter in another family association with the club began.

Twelve months on Todd's younger brothers Jye (centre) and Kade (wing) joined him at Panthers.

Todd remained with Panthers for three years before Doug Hewitt took over as captain-coach in 2018.

Jye and Kade remained with the men in black that year and won Group 10 premier league grand final together.

The Barrows were one of three sets of brothers to play in that grand final. There were also the Betts' and the Seagers.

Prop Brent Seager was named man-of-the-match in Panthers' miracle 12-10 win over Cowra, with his younger brother Blake playing in the pack alongside him.

"Not many blokes get to do that, it's unreal. I love him, he's a legend," Brent said of his brother at the time.

While they didn't play with each other regularly there have been plenty more sets brothers at the club at the same time - Kevin, Adam and Brian Burke, Tom and Nick Loader, Aaron and Joel Bell, Adam and Brad Fearnley, Jason and Doug Hewitt, Jack and Storm Siejka plus Matt and Trent Rose.

The Wicks brothers Michael and Jeffrey also won multiple premierships as Panthers. Michael is on the list of people who have done so as a coach as well.

While the Whites, Tilburgs and Betts' will all rip in for Panthers this Sunday against Dubbo CYMS in the Peter McDonald Premier and league tag season openers, there one more set of siblings who'll have a special moment.

Brothers Connor and Declan Hodges will make their under 18s debut together against the Fishies.

They'll all be hoping a family that plays together, wins together.

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