Bludging on the Blindside

Last updated

Bludging on the Blindside
Bludging on the Blindside cover art.jpeg
Genre Sports journalism, improvisational comedy
Running time2 hours
(Saturdays 12pm–2pm)
Country of originAustralia
Home station ABC Local Radio [a]
ABC Sport
Hosted by Roy and HG
Created by
Original release14 March 2020 –
present
No. of series7
No. of episodes200+
Website Official website

Bludging on the Blindside is an Australian satirical sports radio show hosted by comedians John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver, who play their characters Roy and HG: 'Rampaging' Roy Slaven, the retired sportsman turned commentator, and HG Nelson, the show's announcer. It has been broadcast on ABC Sport and some ABC Local Radio stations since March 2020, also becoming one of the ABC's most popular podcasts. [1]

Contents

History

At the start of 2020, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) announced Roy and HG would return to the network after several years on Macquarie Sports Radio and Triple M. Their first gig was on the ABC's youth network Triple J for This Sporting Life , which ran from 1986 to 2008. [2]

The first episode of Bludging on the Blindside was broadcast on 14 March 2020, with the inaugural season wrapping up on 3 October 2020. [3]

Format and comedy

As with This Sporting Life, Doyle (who plays Roy Slaven) and Pickhaver (HG Nelson) improvise the show entirely. Pickhaver said they "don't actually write the show, [they] trawl threads that are unravelling from the carpet of sport and join them together to have fun with them." [4] Andrew McMillen described Roy and HG's chemistry in an article for The Australian : "At its heart, the show is purely about trying to make the other bloke crack up laughing, often by suggesting completely outrageous ideas with a straight face." [1]

Roy and HG's brand of comedy involves many layers of inside jokes. For example, they constantly refer to Peter V'landys, the National Rugby League administrator, as "Feathers" or the "Man of Feathers", [5] [6] while Gillon McLachlan, the Australian Football League administrator, is branded the "murderer". [7]

Broadcast

Bludging on the Blindside is broadcast on the ABC Sport radio station and some ABC Local Radio stations in New South Wales and Queensland, including 702 ABC Sydney, 612 ABC Brisbane, and several regional stations. This is because the primary focus of the show is rugby league, which is most popular east of the Barassi Line and less so in other markets such as Melbourne.

The show is also released as a podcast, available on ABC listen and other online podcast platforms.

Notes

  1. ↑ Only on some metro and regional stations in New South Wales and Queensland; see #Broadcast.

References

  1. 1 2 McMillen, Andrew (1 July 2022). "Blindside bludgers still packing down after 36 years". The Australian . Archived from the original on 1 July 2022. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  2. ↑ Hassall, Greg (18 May 2020). "Rare insight into chemistry that's kept Roy and HG on air for 35 years". ABC News . Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  3. ↑ "Sporting legends Roy & HG return to ABC in another career twist". Mediaweek . 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  4. ↑ Pobije, Ben (19 April 2023). "'The AFL could be North Korea': HG Nelson on the absurdities of sport". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  5. ↑ Di Stefano, Mark (23 April 2025). "Inside the plot to 'get rid' of Peter V'landys". Australian Financial Review . Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  6. ↑ "Snort the washing powder - Part 1". ABC listen . 6 April 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2026.
  7. ↑ "AFL roasted by Aussie sport icons Roy and HG in brutal rant". news.com.au . 11 May 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
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