Celebrating 1000 Coodabeen Champions footy shows

The Coodabeen Champions are celebrating 1000 Footy Shows on radio in Melbourne this week. The 1000th show will air this Saturday 3 September as Jeff Richardson, Ian Cover, Greg Champion and Billy Baxter take to the microphone on 774 ABC Melbourne and ABC Local Radio Victoria.

The Coodabeen Champions have been a feature on Melbourne radio since they started breaking new ground for sports coverage in 1981 on 3RRR. After an initial stint with ABC Local Radio Victoria in 1988, they returned to the station in 2003 and have been on air every Saturday during the Footy season since.  

Spanning 36 years, the Coodabeens Footy Show continues to be a Saturday institution and has seen a number of special broadcasts over the years including Queens Birthday, Easter Monday and Grand Final evening.

Clocking up 1000 shows is an impressive milestone, given the program is aired weekly during the AFL season only.

Like the AFL teams of today, the Coodabeens did their share of building the playing list. In an ever-changing footy world, the group has remained one of the truly enduring constants thanks to an engaging combination of footy knowledge and in-the-outer experience.

Original members included Simon Whelan, Tony Leonard and Jeff ‘Torch’ McGee as the resident footy expert having played the game at the highest level (seven games for South Melbourne in the late 60s). Jeff Richardson (Richo), Ian Cover (Covey), Greg Champion (Champs) and Billy Baxter are the Coodabeen Champions of today.

On behalf of the Coodabeens, Ian Cover said “We thought we might be in trouble after one show, to reach 1000 is amazing. The list of clichés we’ve used is longer than your arm.

“We’ve made it this far thanks to two generations of listeners who have kept tuning in on Saturday mornings and the ongoing support of management,” he said.

Each week the team delivers two entertaining hours discussing the current football scene, including the odd tall story, and a song or two from Champs. Other regular segments include Covey’s Quiz, Guru Bob and Footy Talkback with Torch, all delivered with wit and humour. 

Over recent years, the team has held a number of special live broadcasts to put the focus on regional grassroots footy and Women’s Football. And for the third consecutive year, they will appear live on stage for their annual end-of-season show at the Arts Centre, on Sunday 11 September 2016.

The Coodabeen Champions Footy Show is on ABC Local Radio Victoria Saturdays from 10am – 12noon during the AFL Season. 

Tags: | | | | |