Former Crows captain Tony McGuinness’ son Oscar McGuinness wins four titles at SA and NSW rowing championships
The son of former Crows captain Tony McGuinness is making his own mark in the sporting world. But it is on the rowing course, not the football field, that state champion Oscar McGuinness is excelling.
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He was never a contender for the AFL’s father-son rule and has no interest in the Crows.
But Oscar McGuinness, son of 222-game Adelaide and Footscray footballer Tony McGuinness, is making his own waves on rowing’s national stage.
The emerging sculler demonstrated his rich potential when he won a trio of finals at this month’s state championships.
It followed his under-23 lightweight singles triumph at the NSW titles, which edged him closer to national team selection for August’s worlds in Slovenia.
The success is a far cry from Oscar’s primary school days at St Peter’s College, where he attempted most sports but showed few signs of following in his father’s famous footsteps.
“Tennis, basketball, footy, soccer, swimming, volleyball – I really gave everything a crack,” Oscar, 20, recalled.
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“I probably tried every sport, not being overly good at any of them ... and I never really cared about the Crows or got into the AFL too much.
“But I wasn’t pushed, it was just ‘whatever you want to do, make sure you do that as well as you can’.
“I didn’t fall in love with rowing immediately.
“But I had a couple of really influential coaches that made it appealing as a lifestyle.
“Now, I’m excited about what I can do in the sport.”
Oscar was due to line up at next week’s Sydney International Rowing Regatta, replacing Olympic silver medallist Alex Hill as SA’s representative in the open interstate single scull.
But the event, which included the prestigious President’s Cup, was cancelled due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic.
Tony was proud of his son’s achievements, despite his rowing knowledge previously being limited to the Oarsome Foursome.
But he said there was little indication of his offspring’s sporting pedigree on the football field.
“You can intuitively pick up in kids sport if they know where to run and if they can see the game,” former Adelaide captain Tony said.
“Oscar tried very hard ... but let’s just say we’re particularly pleased he took up rowing.
“We often had jokes about the father-son thing, because he could’ve played at Adelaide or the Bulldogs.
“We didn’t have to worry about that decision.
“But he’s highly driven, he’s highly-motivated and he’s got the work ethic.
“He’s got all the intrinsic needs to be a successful sportsman.”
Oscar was born four years after Tony’s AFL career ended in 1996.
The youngest of four children recalls seeing his dad feature alongside other past players in the annual Slowdown charity match.
But Tony and his wife Georgina McGuinness, a TV newsreader of 25 years, have offered Oscar sage advice about the expectations of public life.
“From a public profile point of view, we can both help him along the way and we will do that from time-to-time,” Tony, now 55, said.
“But he’s been smart enough and dedicated enough to navigate his way through that, so full credit to him.
“All sport is hard and rowing seems to be particularly tough.
“But I don’t think there’s a better sport I know that teaches values.
“Oscar has been so committed to it, that he’s picked up intuitively what’s required to be successful.”
Oscar credits much of his progress to fiercely competitive training sessions alongside SASI teammate and women’s single scull state champion Verayna Zilm.
The UniSA sports science student said working with Saints coach and former world champion James McRae had also fast-tracked his development.
“That’s one of the things I like about the sport,” said Oscar, who supports Glenelg, where his father won a SANFL premiership and Magarey Medal.
“All the Olympians and the world champions, when they come around you they’re good role models in the way they’re not full of themselves and talk to you normally.
“It doesn’t matter what level you’re on, everyone is equal.”