Xander McGuire joins exodus from Channel 9 for new on-air role

Another big name has joined the flood of talent from Channel 9, taking up a prominent on-air role with a rival network.

Another big name is departing Channel 9 with sports reporter Xander McGuire joining Seven’s news team.

McGuire, who has been in Scotland on a six month study sabbatical, will be part of Seven’s sport reporting team.

After three years at Nine the lure of working on the footy broadcast next year got him over the line with McGuire to appear on prime time broadcasts and across Seven’s new stable of footy programs — which could pit him against his famous father, Eddie McGuire.

Eddie McGuire hosts Footy Classified, which moves from Wednesday night to Tuesday night in 2025. He also branded Seven “channel copycat”.

Xander, 21, won the Clinton Grybas rising star award for the footy world’s best new talent and is set to start at Seven early next year with a keen interest in footy, cricket and horse racing.

Xander McGuire interviews Tom Hawkins in The Birdcage.

Seven is understood to be thrilled to land him, with Seven Melbourne Director of News Chris Salter and director of network sport Chris Jones, pitching the role a few months ago.

Xander has been based at the famed University of St Andrews to tackle the politics part of his Melbourne University Arts Degree.

Channel 9 sports presenter Tony Jones labelled the young reporter one of the best he’d seen in almost 40 years at the network — “In football terms he’s what they call a ‘generational player’.”

McGuire told Nine of his plans to move on Monday with Jones saying he hoped he’d helped “jack up his price”.

Xander McGuire with his famous dad. Picture: Fiona Hamilton

McGuire’s move comes on the back of a mass exodus of footy figures from Nine with Kane Cornes, Craig Hutchison and Caroline Wilson all jumping ship to Seven.

Eddie McGuire’s JAM TV will produce two new shows for Seven, Sunday Footy Feast and The Wash Up.

Eddie has been in the US visiting his other son Joe who is playing as a punter with Ohio State Buckeyes in college football.

Xander said he always goes to his famous dad for advice.

“I go to him all the time for advice, some of the cameramen used to work with him when he was a journalist,’’ Xander told the Herald Sun.

“Growing up I’d walk to the kitchen table and there’d be four papers spread across it.”