Gary Ablett Snr and Jnr are Aussie rules royalty along with Fletchers and Shaws and more, while the Mortimers have done their name proud across the NRL and abroad.

Closer to home, Geoff and Sam Potts, Matt and Sam Greatbatch, the Nells, the Paasis - although Viv hasn't played in a long, long time - there's plenty of famous names across the region.

There aren't as many mother-daughter names at the top flight of women's competition, simply because professional level of AFLW and NRLW are far newer, but around the region there are a ton of familiar names who've follow in their mother's footsteps.

Mandy Moore and daughter Tori have lined up in the same colours, while there's a slew of hockey families - Rach Divall and mum Alison Eslock, Deb and Kayla Orrock and Alison and daughters Jade and Ash Warrender among the names who've kept it in the family in Orange.

But while parents often end up shedding a tear on the sidelines, not many of them get to line up together in winter sports.

In summer, it's different - father-son pairings in cricket are a dime a dozen, the Centenary Cup is practically built for the purpose.

The Middletons are hardly the only ones with a monopoly on keeping it in the family in summer, but when it crosses to winter the pairings become rarer and rarer.

When they do, it's normally only a game or too, but the Orange Tigers are bucking the trend.

Ben and Zach Cullis have lined up together for nearly every game this season, and will run out on Saturday - just before a special Sunday in Father's Day.

The Tigers had Max and Tim Bylsma play together through large parts of 2019, and while Ben and Zach did run out together last year, it was only a handful of games.

This year's been different.

The pair have played all games but one together, which was one Ben missed with an injured thumb, and they've proven key pillars of the Tigers side.

The elder Cullis has been thrown from full back to centre-half-back to the ruck to centre-half-forward, while Zach's spent more time in the back pocket, but did head forward on Saturday to snare his first senior goal.

Despite both moving all over the ground - they rarely line up next to each other on the field.

"The main reason for coming back this year was to play a season with Zach and it's been good to get a few games in and be able to play," Ben said.

"I find myself watching him a bit and getting distracted and watching him when he's going after the ball. I definitely keep an eye on him."

Ben said a small part of him still has the urge to coach and guide his son - and now teammate - and while being so far apart on the field makes it difficult he's stoked he had the opportunity.

"When we're down the same end [I try to], but we've been at opposite ends of the ground for most of the year so it's hard," he said.

"Once we moved up to Orange and I saw he was starting to get a bit of size about him I thought 'I'm a chance to play a few games with him here'.

"It's been the goal for four or five years now that I've wanted to play a game with him."

For the younger Cullis, it's less surreal to be playing with his old man.

"I've been training with him since we moved here, from a young age, so it's kind of natural I guess," he said.

"We played our first game a while back but it was just a practice match, but it's been really good to play every week."

He said having his dad around onfield didn't change the way he played - either curbing his aggression or heightening it - and not being fussed by having an older head around him in his father.

"I guess being younger all of the men are sort of a coach of sorts but it's definitely different," the 17-year-old said.

He's had the chance to have a proper run at the footy this year, too, with only a few games last year leading into more consistent footy at the top level - and experience all over the ground.

Zach had a run up forward against the Bushrangers, kicking one of the side's three goals, and earning a sneaky $100 from mum Renee - who's also got 50 games under her belt for the Tigers - for his first senior goal.

"I've played more games this year which has been good so I've enjoyed getting more game time," Zach said.

"I love playing in the fowards but seem to be doing alright in the backline so I'll play wherever I get put."

Come Sunday though, it'll be a special day for the pair of them.

Not only is Sunday Father's Day, it's Zach's 18^th birthday, marking two big family days for the price of one.

"I'll be able to have a beer with him on Father's Day night so it's fallen on a good day, turning 18 on the same day of father's day," Ben said.