Eddie McGuire’s son Joe speaks to Jon Anderson about his Ohio State Buckeyes experience

Joe McGuire — the son of ex-Collingwood president Eddie — is living the dream as a punter in the US. He speaks to JON ANDERSON about his experience and whether an NFL career is in his future.

Joe McGuire with his parents Carla and Eddie at the Rose Bowl.

Back in the halcyon days of the 1980s, Eddie McGuire and Matt Rendell were mates and fellow members of the Crux Club, so named for a constellation of fading stars from the worlds of sport, media and nightclubs.

Wind forward 40 years and their respective sons, Joe McGuire, 24, (Ohio State) and James Rendell, 24, (Notre Dame) will play as punters in the US College Football Championship in Atlanta on Tuesday, January 21. McGure is two years into a five-year degree in business and media in sport at Ohio State where he plays with the Buckeyes.

Jon Anderson: Cool to be speaking with a Buckeye, but what actually is a Buckeye?

Joe McGuire: Buckeyes is a nut tree native to Ohio. It’s just what you are called if you come from Ohio.

JA: Most of us were used to seeing you sitting alongside your brother Xander and father Eddie at Collingwood games. Why Gridiron?

Joe McGuire with Ohio Quarter back Will Howard and the Rose Bowl Trophy.

JM: Dad taught Xander and I about every sport you could think of, including grid iron over summer when we were down the beach, but I didn’t know much about the college game or just how huge it is. I played footy from U9s with Prahran juniors, then at school and U19s with Old Melburnians, One of the few good things I could do was kick the ball and one of my mates suggested Nathan Chapman’s Pro Kick.

JA: And the rest, as they say, is history?

JM: I was no star but I put on about 20kg (he’s 188cm) and the after training one night Nathan Chapman took me aside and told me Ohio State was interested in me as a back-up to Jessie Mirco. Jessie, who mentored me, then transferred to Vanderbilt so it became a three-way punting competition with another Aussie in Nick McLardy and Anthony Venneri, training 14 hours a day.

JA: Which you won?

Buckeyes punter Joe McGuire, the son of Eddie McGuire. Picture: Zachery C. Kelly

JM: The best part of my punting is consistency. I use a drop punt normally, running out sideways to create an artificial hang time. It’s more accurate.

JA: And you do it wearing number 42?

JM: Dad’s favourite number is 42 after Darren Millane. When I finally got my locker at Ohio, by sheer coincidence they gave me 42

JA: Are you in touch with any Collingwood players?

JM: I messaged Scott Pendlebury before the Rose Bowl match because it was at night and we don’t play many of them. It was just like what to do during the day and how to prepare, plus I speak with Mason Cox a bit.

Joe McGuire punts against Michigan State. Picture: Zachery C. Kelly

JA: What size crowds do you play in front of?

JM: We have played in front of crowds over 100,000 ten times out of 14 games, and our Rose Bowl win over Oregon peaked at 24 million.

JA: What is America like to live in?

JM: The midwest where I am is what America is, more overtly religious, very family orientated, The team has a really strong connection with God which draws us closer/ Earlier this year a couple of players baptised a group of people, and a couple of players got baptised themselves.

JA: Your dream would be the NFL?

JM: Yes, but I have a long way to go. I could see myself staying here after college, probably 50/50 even without NFL being in the equation, but don’t tell my mum that. I haven’t got any hint of an accent and that will never happen, because my brother and mates would never let me hear the end of it.

JA: What do your teammates make of Australia?

JM: A fantasy land where we ride Kangaroos and there are no roads, and there aren’t many Australians in Ohio. They want to know if we have a pet Kangaroos, or if we ride them or if we even have roads.

Originally published as Eddie McGuire’s son Joe speaks to Jon Anderson about his Ohio State Buckeyes experience