Special milestone for The Waterboys

One of Tasmania’s most popular radio shows will register a special milestone when it returns for its first broadcast of the new year.

The Waterboys, which made its debut in 2011, will raise the bat for episode number 500 later this month.

Hosted by WIN News sports journalist Brent Costelloe and former state-wide league footballers Cam Brown and Blair Brownless, the two-hour Saturday morning program focuses on everything in local, national and international sport and speaks to some of the industry’s biggest names.

“To reach 500 episodes is a real ‘pinch-yourself’ moment,” Costelloe says.

“If someone had told us in 2011 that we were about to enter our 13th season, we probably would’ve laughed at them!”

Since it began, the program has welcomed almost 1000 individual guests on air, ranging from AFL premiership players and Brownlow medallists and Test cricket captains to Olympians and some of Tasmanian sport’s biggest stars.

“We’ve always wanted to be a show which was an avenue and platform to promote local sport and we’ve always had great support from guests who’ve been very obliging and generous with their time,” says Brown.

When it first began, the show ran exclusively on Hobart’s 7HOFM, but within the last 18 months it became a state-wide broadcast and can now be heard on six different stations across Tasmania through the Australian Radio Network (ARN).

Over the journey, the team has taken the show on the road, most notably to several AFL grand finals, the first in 2011.

“We set up a tent outside Punt Road Oval,” says Brownless.

“It was a fantastic morning. Some of footy’s most influential names were strolling past as they made their way to the MCG, so while it wasn’t entirely planned, a cavalcade of stars joined us throughout the show, simply through us yelling at them and beckoning them over!”

Costelloe says it’s that spontaneity that makes the show so special.

“We pride ourselves on our knowledge of different sports but it’s the fun and frivolity that we have every Saturday morning that we love the most. Sometimes you forget you’re actually on air, as some of the debate we create feels like you’re just at the pub having a beer with your mates.”

Costelloe, Brown and Brownless have all been with the show since day one and even though they’re about to tick off a major milestone, there are no plans to hang up the headphones any time soon.

“With so many individuals and teams now representing Tasmania on the national and international stage and with a potential AFL team on the horizon, we feel we’re just getting started, given we’ve got more content to talk about than ever before,” says Costelloe.

The Waterboys 500th Show will air on Saturday morning, January 21st on Hobart’s 7HOFM, Launceston’s LAFM, Scottsdale’s 7SD, Devonport’s 7AD, Burnie’s 7BU and 7XS on the West Coast.