Sport
The sons of two AFL identities face off for college football glory
On Tuesday morning (AEST) Ohio State will face Notre Dame for the college football national championship with more than 30 million people watching, and two AFL scions will be right in the middle of it.
Australians have found a home as punters in American football in recent years with a host of former Aussie rules players hitting the gridiron in the land of the free.
The Buckeyes’s Joe McGuire, son of former Collingwood president Eddie, and James Rendell, son of Fitzroy champion Matt, of the Fighting Irish are the latest cabs off the rank and they’ll square off for college football supremacy with all of America watching.
“If you told me I’d be doing this two or three years ago I’m not sure I would believe you. It’s fantastic,” McGuire told the ABC Sport Daily podcast.
“Ohio State and Notre Dame are the two biggest college teams in America by far. They’re the biggest fanbases with, in the best way possible, the most feral fans.
“The passion is unbelievable. It’s the most expensive National Championship game ever to get into, tickets start at $1800 US.
“The average ticket price is about $2800, so just getting in is ridiculous.”
McGuire’s journey to the pinnacle of college sports has been a long time coming and the 24-year old put in the hard yards to end up in Columbus on one of the best programs in America.
“I loved footy my whole life, played it my whole life, I wasn’t particularly special at it but I was a decent kick,” McGuire said.
“One of my best mates came up to me during COVID and said ‘there’s this thing called ProKick Australia and they send people over to America to punt’.
“I looked into it, reached out to Nathan Chapman and John Smith, who run ProKick, and I went down and had a kick with Chappy at a local ground.
“I didn’t realise it at the time, but it was a try out and he texted me the next day saying there was enough to work with there.”
Punting might seem simple to the outsider but there’s more to it than just hoofing the ball down field.
Once McGuire’s talent was identified, he had to transform his body physically, so he linked up with renowned strength coach Dave Tuinaauvai and got to work.
“At our peak I was doing about ten sessions with him a week to get big enough, because it’s a pretty brutal sport and even though I’m the punter if I get hit I know about it. I put on about 20kgs, to look the part and get a stronger leg,” McGuire said.
“After two-ish years of punting back in Australia, Ohio State reached out to ProKick and Chappy said ‘we’ve got a guy for you’ and the rest is history.
“I’ve always loved sport and watched a lot of gridiron every summer, I’d watch the playoffs and the Super Bowl with my dad and my brother.
“It became something I fell in love with and I decided I had to do this and I couldn’t leave any stone unturned, I dedicated my life to it for two years.”
McGuire headed to Ohio, won the punting job ahead of two others and hasn’t looked back since.
Punting might seem simple to the outsider but there’s more to it than just hoofing the ball down field.
Once McGuire’s talent was identified, he had to transform his body physically, so he linked up with renowned strength coach Dave Tuinaauvai and got to work.
“At our peak I was doing about ten sessions with him a week to get big enough, because it’s a pretty brutal sport and even though I’m the punter if I get hit I know about it. I put on about 20kgs, to look the part and get a stronger leg,” McGuire said.
“After two-ish years of punting back in Australia, Ohio State reached out to ProKick and Chappy said ‘we’ve got a guy for you’ and the rest is history.
“I’ve always loved sport and watched a lot of gridiron every summer, I’d watch the playoffs and the Super Bowl with my dad and my brother.
“It became something I fell in love with and I decided I had to do this and I couldn’t leave any stone unturned, I dedicated my life to it for two years.”
McGuire headed to Ohio, won the punting job ahead of two others and hasn’t looked back since.
