Daddies by Man of Many

Man of Many

Two dads. Two completely different paths to fatherhood. And all the stuff nobody warns you about. Daddies is a new podcast from Man of Many, hosted by Rob Stott, Editor-in-Chief of Man of Many, raising a daughter with his husband via surrogacy, and Marcus Hurley, a single dad navigating co-parenting. This isn't a tips-and-tricks parenting show. Nobody here is going to tell you how to raise your kids. Each episode takes a piece of modern life; fitness, friendships, work, money, identity, guilt, and asks what actually happens to it once a kid is in the picture. Daddies launches Sunday 6 September. This show includes AI-generated content.

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    From Gold Medalist to Dad | Ellia Green

    Retiring from elite sport, transitioning and welcoming a newborn baby are three of life's most monumental shifts. Ellia Green tackled all of them in the space of three months. Facing a wave of global media attention, the Olympic gold medallist found clarity and courage in the simple act of holding his new daughter, realising he never wanted her to think he was too scared to tell the world he was her daddy. Rob and Marcus sit down with Ellia to hear about his journey from dreaming of being Australia's fastest sprinter to winning gold with the Australian rugby sevens team, and ultimately finding his greatest role yet as a father. Ellia shares how the muscle memory of the rugby pitch surprisingly translated to holding a newborn and changing nappies, and reflects on the unique, beautiful bond he shares with his daughter. The dads also swap stories about the harsh realities of taking kids to highly anticipated events. From Marcus dropping eye watering amounts on theatre tickets only to leave fifteen minutes in, to Ellia's encounter with a terrifying eight foot Elmo in Philadelphia, it seems no amount of planning can predict what a toddler will actually enjoy. Throw in a butchered dad joke and a stiff pour of whiskey, and it is just another day of navigating life on the other side of kids. Chapters 00:00 The rugby ball baby hold01:04 Introducing Ellia Green03:08 Chasing the 100 metre sprint dream04:29 Leaving the cinema at half time05:57 A terrifying eight foot Elmo07:42 Scary parades at Movie World09:12 The shared experience of being a dad10:26 Growing up adopted from Fiji12:57 Transitioning and becoming a father16:11 Navigating mental health and retirement19:58 Applying elite sports skills to parenting21:33 Breaking the baby news to the team22:48 Reconnecting with the rugby sevens family27:34 Living in the moment with your kids29:51 Finding a community of trans dads32:15 Butchering the lactose intolerant cow joke Our guest Ellia Green is an Olympic gold medallist who played for the Australian rugby sevens. Born in Fiji and adopted by a Polish and English family, he transitioned and is now a proud father to his five-year-old daughter. Read more on Man of Many Why We're Launching 'Daddies', A New Podcast About Modern FatherhoodINTERVIEW: Anthony Minichiello on Fatherhood, the Roosters and Life in Lockdown10 Best Dad Blogs for New ParentsTesla Balance Bike Has No Motor, No Battery, and Runs on Toddler PowerOzlo Sleepbuds: The Father's Day Sleep Upgrade Dad Will Actually UseHow to Fix Australian Rugby What to listen to next One and DoneBecoming a Grandpa at the Age of 37 | Matty Acton Support: If anything in this episode brought something up for you, help is available. Lifeline 13 11 14. Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78. PANDA, for expecting and new parents, 1300 726 306. In an emergency call 000. Enjoying Daddies? Follow the show in your podcast app so every new episode lands automatically, and leave a rating and a review. It is the difference between someone scrolling past and pressing play. Find us Instagram: @daddiespodcastauTikTok: @daddiespodcastauFacebook: @daddiespodcastauThreads: @daddiespodcastauX: @daddiespodauWatch the full episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@manofmanyListen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/id6804513711Find us on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4JqZSIBvqU33N5LGJ3b46SEverything else: manofmany.com/podcasts/daddies CreditsHosts: Rob Stott and Marcus HurleyProducer: Amelia NavascuesVideographer: Jordan YankovA Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday. Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    From Gold Medalist to Dad | Ellia Green
  2. Sep 23

    One and Done

    When a child throws a public tantrum, the most effective response might just be lying down next to them on the floor and whispering softly that everyone is looking at them. It is a bold strategy that leaves a lasting impression, even if it instils a lifetime of crippling insecurity. Marcus and Rob tackle the complex realities of modern fatherhood, starting with the deeply personal choice to be a 'one and done' family. Rob opens up about the expensive and emotionally taxing surrogacy process that brought his daughter Billy into the world, and the annual subscription-like decision of whether to keep leftover embryos in storage. Marcus reflects on the financial and emotional bandwidth required to raise his daughter Sabrina, noting that dedicating 99 percent of his time to one child feels like the least selfish thing a parent can do. The conversation shifts to the inevitable and heavy questions children eventually ask. From explaining why parents live in different houses to navigating the reality of growing up with two dads, the hosts explore how they plan to tackle these complex truths. They also confront the daunting task of explaining death to a toddler, sharing stories of one-eyed pet fish and beloved family dogs shuffling off the mortal coil, all while debating the fine line between protecting their kids and being completely honest. Chapters 00:00 The tantrum whisperer01:09 The anatomy of a dad joke04:12 Deciding to be one and done04:48 The human subscription of embryos06:21 Navigating only child stereotypes08:46 The Guardian on compassionate parenting11:09 The joy and pain of kids craft14:50 The true financial cost of parenting19:46 Explaining separate houses to kids21:04 Growing up with two dads23:02 Time magazine on questions dads want26:49 Explaining death through a pet fish30:08 The Finding Nemo parenting dilemma References ‘One and done’ parents are some of the most thoughtful and compassionate I have met, the Guardian, Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, 31 March 20239 Questions Dads Wish Their Kids Would Ask Them, TIME, Angela Haupt, 18 June 2026 Mentioned in this episode Play-Doh: playdohstore.comLego: lego.comMoana: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moana_(2016_film)Disney on Ice: disneyonice.comFinding Nemo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finding_Nemo Read more on Man of Many Why We're Launching 'Daddies', A New Podcast About Modern FatherhoodThe 'Co-Worker' Trap: An Expert Guide to Rebuilding Intimacy After KidsINTERVIEW: Anthony Minichiello on Fatherhood, the Roosters and Life in Lockdown10 Best Dad Blogs for New ParentsLouis Theroux's 'Manosphere' Doco Is Compulsory Viewing for Dads Everywhere100+ Best Dad Jokes, Ranked by Cringe/Pun Level What to listen to next Becoming a Grandpa at the Age of 37 | Matty ActonGay Dad, Single Dad Enjoying Daddies? Follow the show in your podcast app so every new episode lands automatically, and leave a rating and a review. It is the difference between someone scrolling past and pressing play. Find us Instagram: @daddiespodcastauTikTok: @daddiespodcastauFacebook: @daddiespodcastauThreads: @daddiespodcastauX: @daddiespodauWatch the full episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@manofmanyListen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/id6804513711Find us on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4JqZSIBvqU33N5LGJ3b46SEverything else: manofmany.com/podcasts/daddies CreditsHosts: Rob Stott and Marcus HurleyProducer: Amelia NavascuesVideographer: Jordan YankovA Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday. This episode includes AI-generated content. Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. Sep 16

    Becoming a Grandpa at the Age of 37 | Matty Acton

    A 50 cent piece, a kid jumping on a bed, and an 18 year old who had been left alone with someone else's son for the very first time. Matty got the coin out. Then the boy looked up at him with tears in his eyes and said: let's not tell mummy. Matty Acton is one third of Stav, Abby & Matt on B105 Brisbane breakfast. He met his now wife when he was 18 and she was 22, with a three year old son. His original position was that he did not want a serious relationship with someone who had a child. He has now spent his entire adult life as a parent. That three year old is 24. He married at 20 and he is a father, which makes Matty a grandfather at 37. He talks about what that did to the way he sees himself, why he loves telling people about it, and the stigma that still lands on anyone who has children young. He also has a 12 year old son and a nine year old daughter, so the house now runs two sets of rules: one for his kids, and effectively none for his granddaughter. In between are the parts nobody puts on Instagram. A major crash out in front of his son's mate on a Sunday morning, over what time the bikes had to be home. Moving a kid to a new school every two years for a radio career, and the one move they decided not to make. Finding out your son is proposing while you are in line for your fourth bottle at a food and wine festival. And what he says he has actually learned across three kids and every one of his adult years, which is smaller and better than any of it: they just want to know that when they put their head on the pillow, someone is there who loves them. Plus the dad joke round, which Rob and Marcus handle badly. Chapters 00:00 Cold open: a 50 cent piece and a secret00:45 Welcome, and a guest who is a granddaddy02:15 Pop, Papa or Bob: what the grandkids call you03:09 A major crash out in front of his mate05:15 Three kids, 24, 12 and nine, all different06:21 What every kid actually wants08:31 He was 18, she was 22, her son was three11:52 Meeting the kid: friend first, dad later13:31 The night he babysat alone for the first time15:29 Was that the moment you became a dad?17:03 Moving house every two years for radio20:22 The phone call: he is proposing at 2023:15 Advice they don't want, and listening instead24:30 A grandfather at 37, and the stigma of it26:21 Granddaughter rules versus kid rules28:14 The dad joke round Our guest Matty Acton co-hosts Stav, Abby & Matt, the breakfast show on B105 Brisbane, alongside Stav Davidson and Abby Coleman. He became a stepdad at 18, has three children, and became a grandfather at 37. Instagram: @mattyactonTikTok: @mattyactonX: @mattyactonFacebook: @MattyActonListen to Stav, Abby & Matt on B105 Brisbane: listnr.com/stations/b105 Read more on Man of Many Why We're Launching 'Daddies', A New Podcast About Modern Fatherhood100+ Best Dad Jokes, Ranked by Cringe/Pun LevelWe Asked Aussie Men How Life Is Going. This Is What You Told Us10 Best Dad Blogs for New ParentsThe 2025 'Adolescent Man Box' ReportPaging Doctor Dad: Real Fathers, Real Stories, Real Advice What to listen to next Gay Dad, Single DadHow Your Brain Changes When You Become A Dad Enjoying Daddies? Follow the show in your podcast app so every new episode lands automatically, and leave a rating and a review. It is the difference between someone scrolling past and pressing play. Find us Instagram: @daddiespodcastauTikTok: @daddiespodcastauFacebook: @daddiespodcastauThreads: @daddiespodcastauX: @daddiespodauWatch the full episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@manofmanyListen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/id6804513711Find us on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4JqZSIBvqU33N5LGJ3b46SEverything else: manofmany.com/podcasts/daddies CreditsHosts: Rob Stott and Marcus HurleyProducer: Amelia NavascuesVideographer: Jordan YankovA Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday. Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Becoming a Grandpa at the Age of 37 | Matty Acton
  4. Sep 9

    Gay Dad, Single Dad

    Rob and Marcus have worked together for years and had never really told each other how they became dads. This is the episode where they do. Rob Stott is raising a daughter, Billie, with his husband. She was born via surrogacy in Canada during COVID, which meant the first time they met their surrogate in person was when they flew over for the birth. He explains why Australian law pushed them overseas, why it is the surrogate who chooses the parents rather than the other way round, what altruistic surrogacy actually means, and why Billie now has half siblings around the world and a girl in Melbourne born from the same womb. Marcus Hurley was married for five years, has a daughter he calls Beano, and instigated the separation. He describes how long it took before he could say the words "single dad", the fifty-fifty week he calls his bipolar life, the guilt that arrives folded into the relief of a night off, and the moment his daughter drew the family and wrote "daddy" twice. Between them they land on the thing nobody says out loud. Nearly one in three Australian children are not growing up in a conventional family household, and both these men did. Then the community questions, which are as blunt as you would expect. Did the two of you just do your business in a cup? What if the surrogate wants to keep the baby? And what happens to dating when you are only free every second week. Chapters00:00 Cold open: the turkey baster question00:08 Meet Rob and Marcus01:04 Rob's story: two dads, one daughter, Canada02:38 Meeting your surrogate for the first time04:06 "She chose us": how the matching works04:48 The woman who carried Billie05:55 Half siblings, and the girl from the same womb07:14 What altruistic surrogacy actually means08:10 Marcus's story: five years, then divorce09:14 How long it takes to say "single dad"10:49 The bipolar week, and guilt inside relief14:06 Nearly 1 in 3 kids are not "traditional"16:30 Two dads, no gender roles, splitting nights17:47 Dad, Pop, Papa and Bop19:07 The stepdad, and the drawing with two daddies21:30 Community questions: the cup, the paternity test26:27 Dating, and being "custody aligned"32:33 Your ex is engaged, and you find out on FaceTime ReferencesNearly one in three children growing up in non-conventional family households, UNSW Sydney, 20 August 2024, reporting the Uniting Families Report from UNSW's Social Policy Research Centre and Uniting NSW.ACT What to listen to nextHow Your Brain Changes When You Become A Dad Support: If anything in this episode brought something up for you, help is available. Lifeline 13 11 14. Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78. PANDA, for expecting and new parents, 1300 726 306. In an emergency call 000. Enjoying Daddies? Follow the show in your podcast app so every new episode lands automatically, and leave a rating and a review. It is the difference between someone scrolling past and pressing play. Find us Instagram: @daddiespodcastau TikTok: @daddiespodcastau Facebook: @daddiespodcastau Threads: @daddiespodcastau X: @daddiespodau Watch the full episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@manofmany Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/id6804513711 Find us on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4JqZSIBvqU33N5LGJ3b46S Everything else: manofmany.com/podcasts/daddies CreditsHosts: Rob Stott and Marcus HurleyProducer: Amelia NavascuesVideographer: Jordan YankovA Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday. Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  5. Sep 5

    How Your Brain Changes When You Become A Dad

    Rob swore at a driver in Newtown. Then he heard a small voice repeat it, word for word, from the back seat. That is roughly where this show begins. In the first episode of Daddies, Rob Stott and Marcus Hurley take a BBC piece on "dad brain" and test it against their own experience. The research says fatherhood physically rewires you: testosterone drops, and drops further in dads doing more of the caring. Oxytocin rises, especially through play and physical contact. Rob's daughter Billie was born via surrogacy in Canada during COVID, which meant meeting their surrogate over Zoom and watching every scan from the other side of the world. He then took eighteen months off work as the primary carer. The research says gay dads doing primary care show the same brain activation as mothers, and Rob has thoughts on whether that matches what he actually felt, and when. Marcus co-parents on a fifty-fifty split and describes the weekly switch between being a dad and being a single man, the morning his ex-wife held an engagement ring up to the camera while he was camping, and the mate who asked him how it made him feel. Plus the change nobody warns you about, which is not the nappies. It is your friendships. Chapters 00:00 The word Billie wouldn't stop saying 00:12 Meet Rob and Marcus 01:12 TMI: Rob swears, Billie repeats it 04:39 How a 50/50 fortnight actually works 05:16 An engagement ring over FaceTime 06:45 Meeting your daughter's stepdad 08:04 Change: the BBC 'Dad Brain' article 09:20 Testosterone drops, oxytocin spikes 10:54 Surrogacy in Canada, over Zoom 11:48 Gay dads and 18 months of primary care 13:13 The change nobody warns you about 15:56 What do you miss from before? 18:24 What did you just say? 20:23 The secret candle ReferencesDad brains: How fatherhood rewires the male mind, BBC Future, 18 April 2026 Enjoying Daddies? Follow the show in your podcast app so every new episode lands automatically, and leave a rating and a review. It is the difference between someone scrolling past and pressing play. Find us Instagram: @daddiespodcastau TikTok: @daddiespodcastau Facebook: @daddiespodcastau Threads: @daddiespodcastau X: @daddiespodau Watch the full episodes on YouTube: youtube.com/@manofmany Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/id6804513711 Find us on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4JqZSIBvqU33N5LGJ3b46S Everything else: manofmany.com/podcasts/daddies CreditsHosts: Rob Stott and Marcus HurleyProducer: Amelia NavascuesVideographer: Jordan YankovA Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday. Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

About

Two dads. Two completely different paths to fatherhood. And all the stuff nobody warns you about. Daddies is a new podcast from Man of Many, hosted by Rob Stott, Editor-in-Chief of Man of Many, raising a daughter with his husband via surrogacy, and Marcus Hurley, a single dad navigating co-parenting. This isn't a tips-and-tricks parenting show. Nobody here is going to tell you how to raise your kids. Each episode takes a piece of modern life; fitness, friendships, work, money, identity, guilt, and asks what actually happens to it once a kid is in the picture. Daddies launches Sunday 6 September. This show includes AI-generated content.

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