Daddies by Man of Many

When a father takes his child out in public, he isn't babysitting and he certainly isn't giving his wife the day off. He is simply being a parent. Yet the persistent, well-meaning comments from strangers suggest society still has a long way to go in understanding modern fatherhood.
Marcus and Rob unpack the realities of solo parenting, from the exhaustion of long weekends without backup to the sudden disappearance of the afternoon nap. Rob shares his experience holding the fort while his husband took a much-needed retreat to Bali, highlighting the relentless nature of parenting without a moment to hit the gym or unwind. Meanwhile, Marcus navigates the logistics of scheduling family portraits and musical theatre auditions around his 50/50 custody arrangement.
The conversation then turns to the age-old proverb that it takes a village to raise a child. With families spread across the globe, grandparents embracing the grey nomad lifestyle and the traditional community structures of the past evolving, the hosts explore what a modern village actually looks like. From overseas surrogates to the cool dads at daycare, they reflect on the intentional effort required to build a support network today.
Chapters
00:00 The privilege of solo parenting
01:21 Assumptions about dads in public
03:03 Shifting perceptions of fatherhood
04:02 Accepting help as a single parent
05:46 Winning family portrait competitions
08:49 Holding the fort while your partner travels
10:04 Surviving weekends without afternoon naps
12:14 Auditioning for a musical theatre role
13:26 Does it really take a village?
16:26 When your babysitters become grey nomads
18:12 Defining the modern parenting village
20:25 Building a community takes intention
21:41 An international network of surrogates
22:55 What is missing from your village?
24:32 Closing out with a dad joke
What to listen to next
Dads vs The Manosphere | Marc Fennell
Surviving Dad Burnout
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
Credits
Hosts: Rob Stott and Marcus Hurley
Producer: Amelia Navascues
Videographer: Jordan Yankov
A Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday.
Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A simple parenting hack to keep kids entertained with Minecraft and Pokémon videos on the living room TV can take a dark turn in just twenty minutes. Left to its own devices, the YouTube autoplay algorithm can seamlessly pivot from innocent gaming streams to Joe Rogan lecturing on weak men, plunging young viewers into the depths of the manosphere without a single click.
Marc Fennell joins Rob and Marcus to unpack his new ABC documentary series, State of Man, which explores the inescapable and increasingly toxic online ecosystem targeting young men. Marc shares the terrifying results of a burner phone experiment that tracked how quickly social media algorithms serve up racist AI slop and misogynistic content to teenage boys looking for harmless fitness and dating advice.
The dads also swap stories from the trenches of modern parenting. Rob recounts the traumatic dismemberment of his daughter's beloved stuffed rabbit, while Marc reveals his son's impressive but infuriating ability to crack the family's device lockbox and hack into Roblox. The conversation turns to the impossible task of policing screen time when parents are equally hooked, and how fathers can model healthy masculinity in a world obsessed with unattainable perfectionism.
Chapters
00:00 Hacking Roblox and stealing money
00:51 Introducing Marc Fennell
03:54 The tragic dismemberment of Baba the rabbit
08:16 Safe crackers and iPad lockbox loopholes
12:06 Parenting with screens and boundaries
17:13 State of Man and defining the manosphere
18:54 From Minecraft to Joe Rogan in 20 minutes
20:23 The burner phone algorithm experiment
24:22 Navigating the internet with your kids
30:58 What fathers can do to guide their kids
33:28 High schoolers and the obsession with weights
36:03 What women actually want in a man
41:47 Body image and unattainable perfectionism
44:39 Emotional regulation and talking it out
51:14 What makes a good man
53:15 Impasta noodles and terrible dad jokes
Our guest
Marc Fennell is a television and radio presenter who explores the online ecosystem of male influencers in his documentary series.
What to listen to next
Surviving Dad Burnout
From Gold Medalist to Dad | Ellia Green
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
Credits
Hosts: Rob Stott and Marcus Hurley
Producer: Amelia Navascues
Videographer: Jordan Yankov
A Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday.
Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every parent eventually creeps into their child's bedroom to check they are still breathing, but few are met with a toddler faking their own demise. A routine check on a motionless child turns into a minor heart attack, only for the little one to reveal a giant grin, knowing exactly how to mess with a tired father.
Rob and Marcus dive into the exhausting reality of back to back daycare illnesses, with Rob surviving a brutal month of flu, gastro and mystery rashes. The conversation shifts to the elusive concept of work life balance, exploring whether heading to the office is actually a break from parenting or just another demanding shift. Rob reflects on a rare three month stint of unemployment that offered a glimpse of true balance, while Marcus admits to slipping into a robotic routine during precious evening hours with his daughter.
The realities of single fatherhood take centre stage as Marcus prepares for a holiday to Greece, battling the guilt of leaving his daughter behind. He confesses to falling into the trap of buying affection, dropping eye watering amounts at the toy store to overcompensate. Meanwhile, Rob shares the secret to his household's financial survival with a monthly budget date night, prompting a discussion on how to teach kids about money, the legacy of school banking programmes and the unexpected windfall of helping a stranger change a tyre.
Chapters
00:00 A brief moment of panic
00:51 A month of back to back illnesses
02:13 The daycare immune system build up
04:09 Preparing for a holiday to Greece
05:43 The guilt of travelling without your kid
06:43 Dropping the ball on family time
07:55 Exhaustion after a weekend of parenting
08:53 Is work a holiday from being a parent
10:43 The robotic routine of evening chores
11:54 Becoming the stereotypical single dad
13:31 The monthly budget date night
15:37 Teaching kids about financial responsibility
17:34 Setting up a bank account for the future
18:49 The irrational fear of a silent child
20:06 What happens if a single parent dies in bed
21:19 Waiting for the third breath
Mentioned in this episode
Bluey: bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000vbrk/bluey
Mollymook: smh.com.au/traveller/topic/mollymook-crl
Lego: lego.certifiedstore.co.il
Money, Money, Money: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money,_Money,_Money
Mamma Mia!: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamma_Mia!_(Film)
Kmart: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kmart_Australia
What to listen to next
From Gold Medalist to Dad | Ellia Green
One and Done
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
Credits
Hosts: Rob Stott and Marcus Hurley
Producer: Amelia Navascues
Videographer: Jordan Yankov
A Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday.
Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 hold
01:04 Introducing Ellia Green
03:08 Chasing the 100 metre sprint dream
04:29 Leaving the cinema at half time
05:57 A terrifying eight foot Elmo
07:42 Scary parades at Movie World
09:12 The shared experience of being a dad
10:26 Growing up adopted from Fiji
12:57 Transitioning and becoming a father
16:11 Navigating mental health and retirement
19:58 Applying elite sports skills to parenting
21:33 Breaking the baby news to the team
22:48 Reconnecting with the rugby sevens family
27:34 Living in the moment with your kids
29:51 Finding a community of trans dads
32:15 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 Fatherhood
INTERVIEW: Anthony Minichiello on Fatherhood, the Roosters and Life in Lockdown
10 Best Dad Blogs for New Parents
Tesla Balance Bike Has No Motor, No Battery, and Runs on Toddler Power
Ozlo Sleepbuds: The Father's Day Sleep Upgrade Dad Will Actually Use
How to Fix Australian Rugby
What to listen to next
One and Done
Becoming 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: @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
Credits
Hosts: Rob Stott and Marcus Hurley
Producer: Amelia Navascues
Videographer: Jordan Yankov
A Man of Many production. New episodes every Thursday.
Join the newsletter.: https://manofmany.com/newsletter
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 whisperer
01:09 The anatomy of a dad joke
04:12 Deciding to be one and done
04:48 The human subscription of embryos
06:21 Navigating only child stereotypes
08:46 The Guardian on compassionate parenting
11:09 The joy and pain of kids craft
14:50 The true financial cost of parenting
19:46 Explaining separate houses to kids
21:04 Growing up with two dads
23:02 Time magazine on questions dads want
26:49 Explaining death through a pet fish
30:08 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 2023
9 Questions Dads Wish Their Kids Would Ask Them, TIME, Angela Haupt, 18 June 2026
Mentioned in this episode
Play-Doh: playdohstore.com
Lego: lego.com
Moana: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moana_(2016_film)
Disney on Ice: disneyonice.com
Finding Nemo: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finding_Nemo
Read more on Man of Many
Why We're Launching 'Daddies', A New Podcast About Modern Fatherhood
The 'Co-Worker' Trap: An Expert Guide to Rebuilding Intimacy After Kids
INTERVIEW: Anthony Minichiello on Fatherhood, the Roosters and Life in Lockdown
10 Best Dad Blogs for New Parents
Louis Theroux's 'Manosphere' Doco Is Compulsory Viewing for Dads Everywhere
100+ Best Dad Jokes, Ranked by Cringe/Pun Level
What to listen to next
Becoming a Grandpa at the Age of 37 | Matty Acton
Gay 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: @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
Credits
Hosts: Rob Stott and Marcus Hurley
Producer: Amelia Navascues
Videographer: Jordan Yankov
A 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.