VERY much the quiet achiever, Josh Honey’s parents knew when they got the call on Friday afternoon that their son would be getting his first chance at AFL footy.

Of course, in a family of sporting prowess, they knew exactly what he was going through. 

Diane Honey recalled the moment she got the news: she also happens to be in quarantine in Queensland with the Melbourne Vixens, of which Tayla Honey had debuted for the week prior.

“Josh being Josh, he never says, ‘Hi Mum.’ He said, ‘Mum’ and I went, ‘Josh how are you going?’ and he goes ‘Mum I’ve got something to tell you.’ So I knew straight away,” Diane said on the latest edition of Spotlight.

“I was so excited for him and it was just really good to hear from him and you could tell he was chuffed - absolutely chuffed - that he’d been selected.”

It was a similar story for Neil Honey, taking a moment away from his work back in Melbourne to celebrate with his son.

“I was at work and he’s rung me during the day, and he doesn’t do that. So I thought we’ve got half a chance here,” Neil said.

“I was just beside myself; I nearly had a tear in my eye. Well I did have a tear in my eye to tell you the truth.”

A staunch Collingwood supporter, it’s been an adjustment for Neil to stock up on Navy Blue and cheer on the traditional rival.

But by the time Saturday’s clash with Fremantle rolled around, he was well and truly behind the Bluebaggers.

“It’s taken time. In my family there is no one that doesn’t barrack for Collingwood, no one,” he said.

“I’ve got a very good mate of mine who’s a Carlton supporter and I bought stubby holders the other week so I’m just about there.”

But for Diane, the transition was an easy one having barracked for the Blues before the Honey family tradition kicked in — with the 1990 Grand Final an unfortunate selling point.

“I use to barrack for Carlton until I met Neil,” she said.

“I actually came back the year 1990 when Collingwood won the premiership and went to every game.

“I’ve barracked for Collingwood ever since but then when Josh got drafted I thought, you know what, I might go back to the Blues.”

For the Honeys, Josh’s debut is another tick in a long list of sporting achievements in the family.

Neil won a bronze medal in the pole vault at the 1986 Commonwealth Games, all the while Diane garnered a name for herself in netball by making 17 appearances for Australia.

Then, there’s uncle Gary, who was a dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the long jump as well as a silver medallist at the 1984 Olympic Games (to America’s Carl Lewis).

There was also plenty of competition among the siblings, with sister Tayla now a Vixen herself and Josh’s twin sister Olivia kicking off a promising athletics career.

“It has been hectic, but it’s been great and the three of them are just really competitive, I think it’s a Honey streak,” she said.

“I’m going to blame Neil’s family, but then I was pretty competitive as well. But there were always competitions and everything was a competition in our family”