Dylan Joyce will exchange the Murray River for the beaches of Miami when he takes up a punting scholarship with the University of Miami next week.
The 23-year-old flew out of Melbourne on Friday with his parents, Kyabram business owners Stuart and Sue, along with little sister Gemma, to take up a full athletic scholarship with the university — secured through the Prokick Australia company started by former Brisbane Bear Nathan Chapman.
Joyce is eligible to spend the next four years at the university and has enrolled in an exercise physiology course.
At 189cm and 96kg, the Kyabram product is more than capable of mixing it with the giant bodies that will be charging at him while completing his punting duties.
Joyce will replace the university’s 2022 punter, Lou Hedley, who is a heavily tattooed West Australian with a larger-than-life personality.
“Lou is a bit of a legend over there. He is basically the king of Miami,” Joyce said.
“He is from Mandurah in West Australia and went through Prokick as well.”
Hedley’s eligibility at college level finished at the end of the 2022 season and he has nominated for the NFL draft.
“They loved him so much that they went to Prokick and asked for ‘another Lou Hedley’,” Joyce said.
Hedley was a fan favourite in Miami and was a second team All-American, who secured two degrees while at the university.
He averaged 45.3 yards per punt in 2022 and Joyce is averaging between 45 and 50 yards.
There will be three punters at Miami when Joyce arrives at the university.
He spoke to second-year coach Mario Cristobal the day before his signing was publicly announced.
Joyce is following in the footsteps of ground-breaking former AFL stars Darren Bennett, Saverio Rocca, Ben Graham and more recently St Kilda pair Arryn Siposs and Bailey Rice.
Graham famously opposed Rocca when the Arizona Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles played off for a spot in the Super Bowl in January 2009.
Siposs made his debut in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles in September 2021, while Rice is on scholarship with the University of Charlotte.
Joyce played last season in the Murray League with Moama, having had several years at Tongala after finishing his junior football with Kyabram and Lancaster.
He kicked 18 goals from 11 games last year, including a bag of eight against Echuca United.
The University of Miami made the announcement that Joyce would be joining its roster on December 19.
The Hurricanes have won five national titles, the last in 2001, and coach Cristobal is a former member of two national championship-winning teams at the University of Miami.
Last season the Hurricanes finished with five wins and seven defeats, in the three-month season that concludes in the last week of November.
Prokick Australia has a stable of almost a dozen Australian rules footballers heading to US universities this year, Joyce explaining he expects to play against at least two of those in his 12 games with Miami this year.
Joyce’s interest in punting was sparked by Moama teammate Tom Sheldon, who spent three years at the University of North Carolina.
Joyce was forced to end his Murray League season early when he was called up at the start of August to trial with Prokick.
“I went down for a tryout in February last year, but I didn’t start the program until August,” he said.
“I was told in November that I was going to Miami, but couldn’t tell anyone until it was announced in December.”
Joyce said the university had liked his film, a snippet of him kicking five or six drop punts, half a dozen torpedoes and some bananas.
He is travelling to the US only days after two Australians were involved as kickers in the national title game, between Georgia and TCU.
Brett Thorson played with Georgia and Jordy Sandy with TCU.
Joyce will leave behind his Aussie rules career, having made his senior debut six years ago as a teenager with Tongala.
He also played underage football at Kyabram and Lancaster.
Joyce departs Kyabram having just finished building a house.
“I worked at C&D Contractors on McCormick Rd, where I did my apprenticeship and I’ve been labouring in Melbourne four days a week in recent times,” he said.
Joyce has never been to the mainland of the US, but did holiday as a child in Hawaii with his family.
He is most excited about the prospects of the Hurricanes.
“We will have a strong team next year. Miami is the third best recruiting class in the country going into this year,” he said.
Joyce will live in an apartment with the man responsible for putting the ball in his hands, the long snapper.
“He is a transfer from Michigan State and a real legend,” Joyce said.
Joyce’s family will stay for 10 days before returning to Australia and no doubt he will have a visit at some stage from older brother Beau and younger brother Jackson — both similarly enthusiastic about their sports.