The Dusty Allen Show

Five years after launching The Dusty Allen Show as our very first guest, Maddie Gleeson is back—making history as our first return guest! We dive into her bold business pivot during Covid and the rollercoaster that is dating in 2025. Expect laughs, insights, and plenty of oversharing as we see how far Maddie—and the podcast—have come since day one.

hereComedian, TV contributor and Reserves Captain Sam Garlepp breaks down the art of gaining the audiences trust at a live comedy show and how to win over Taylor Swift fans. Plus, he treats us to an exclusive live musical performance!   Link to the infamous Kalgoorlie statue beheading article here!    

Paul Mackinnon, Montana Farrah-Seaton and Kieran Ryan join me for a funny, informative and heartwarming chat about how and why they prioritise their mental health, and how running often acts as a catalyst for so many good things in their lives.  The topic of suicide is discussed on this episode, so it if brings up anything for you, checkout the resources from Movember at this link. If you'd like to donate to my Movember page, you can do so here.

Tyrone had to sell his prized possession to buy a plane ticket to Melbourne. Since then, he's not looked back as is carving a career in the Australian sports media landscape. He shares what motivates him to create generational change for his siblings.

A comedic journeyman, Marcus Ryan has been a standup comedian for 20 years. Sharing the highs & lows from the road, as well as his humble beginnings in country Victoria, Marcus is a charming and resilient who wants to make the world a better place.    You can check out his upcoming tour dates here at www.itsmarcusryan.com  

Bill Bazzel's path could have taken him in many directions, however. A jack of all trades in high school, Bill somewhat broke the mould cast for him in high school to become a scratch golfer. Whether you are a golf fan or not, you'll love the parallels between life and golf that we unpack in this podcast.    Also, check out Hotel Clermont here.

Melissa Tapper is both an Olympian & Paralympian. Overcoming an accident at birth, she has become one of Australia's best table tennis players. Her story sets an incredible example for aspiring female and para-athletes every where.  You can follow her on instagram at @millytapper You can check out her clothing line Southwest Society here. Check out the table tennis robot here.

From country teacher to coaching one of the inaugural AFL clubs, Mark 'Bomber' Riley has seen a lot of things and has the stories to prove it.  He shares what it was like to coach one of the modern greats Chris Judd, to his somewhat love/hate relationship with sports media. A loveable rogue who loves a yarn, Bomber takes you on a ride from country WA to Australia's capital with some classic tales and life lessons. 

Culture doesn't just happen. Emile Studham is the co-founder of Performance By Design, which specialises in creating high-performance culture in the corporate environment.    Emile shares his at times hilarious story of business successes and failures and how they have shaped him as a person and a professional. This podcast is a must for anyone who wants to grow as an individual or help their team grow.    https://performancebydesign.co/ 

Father. DJ. Run Club Founder. Yoga Instructor. There is not much Charlie Dark can't do. Growing up in the 80s to immigrant parents from West Africa in the gritty South London scene, Charlie shares stories of his days listening to pirate radio, attending posh schools and how music saved and then transformed his life. He also tells of how he came to be a runner and how he actually enjoys meeting people who he has nothing in common with.   Touring with some of the biggest musical acts on the planet, Charlie Dark has lived a life and he shares many funny, frustrating and fantastic stories in a conversation that will fill your cup, no matter what you're in to.    You can follow Charlie at @daddydarkrdc or @run.dem.crew to catch up on all his goings on!

Ali Day is an Iron Man. Not the triathlon kind, but the Aussie surfing kind. And he's good, bloody good. He's won every event possible, even a few times over. But one freak accident nearly took it all away... Aside from being a champion on the sand and in the surf, Ali is an incredible human away from his sport. We take a deep dive into his mental health journey and the tools that he implemented to get him out of a dark place mentally. This is a really insightful and inspiring chat for anyone who likes to look after their mental health

Charlie Dark is a DJ, Runner, Yoga instructor, father and all around wise soul. His story of growing up in the south of London to immigrant parents from Ghana, to DJ'ing for some of the biggest musical acts in the world will leave you inspired.  His wise yet refreshing take on life and all the lessons he's learned will leave you feeling inspired with a massive smile on your face.    Thanks to our sponsors of this episode, MANSCAPED. Visit www.manscaped.com and use the code: DUSTYNUTZ to get 20% off your personal grooming products.

Brendan Major is a man of many talents. Premiership Coach. Dr of Philosophy in Neuroscience. PHD holder and self confessed process freak. We chat about the origins of strength and conditioning in sport, the impact of concussions on athletes and what he has learned does and doesn't work in coaching athletes...and what the corporate world can learn from it.  A truly informative and fun conversation.  SHOW NOTES: What does FIGJAM mean?

Tjimari Sanderson-Milera has taken it upon himself to educate his community and beyond on the rich indigenous culture of Australia. A proud Kokatha and Narungga man, he is the founder and director of Kumarninthi Cultural Education, which means ‘becoming one’. He’s ensuring that todays children have the knowledge to be culturally respectful for all indigenous peoples moving forward. You can check out on instagram at @kumarninthi or at www.kumarninthi.com.au ______________________________________________________________________ This episode is sponsored by our friends from IAMTHIRSTY. For a special addition to your drink or cocktail at home or at a function, check out iamthirsty.com.au or @iamthirstyau on Instagram. You can purchase online as well as view their full list of stockists. Don't forget to use the code THIRSTYFORDUSTY to get 20% off.    

Max Gawn is the captain of the Melbourne Football Club. He opens up about his leadership and what it's like to lead a group of millennials in sport, as well as the impact the typical 'male banter' can have on an individual and group. He shares what a performance mindset looks like in the most trying of conditions as well as some fascinating insights on his leadership style.    This episode is sponsored by our friends from IAMTHIRSTY. For a special addition to your drink or cocktail at home or at a function, check out iamthirsty.com.au or @iamthirstyau on Instagram. You can purchase online as well as view their full list of stockists. Don't forget to use the code THIRSTYFORDUSTY to get 20% off.  

Paul Mackinnon is a run technique and gait training specialist, specialising in performance and injury prevention. We dive into some of the common fears that people have around running and how to overcome them.  A former professional hockey player, he shares some hilarious tales from his time travelling the world playing hockey in Europe and sneaking into Olympic Villages. You can check out what Paul does best by visiting his website The Balanced Runner or his instagram @thebalancedrunner     - This episode was recorded at Backlot Studios Melbourne. Check em out for all your audio recording and production needs @the_backlot_studios

From sleeping at local ovals and demonstrating antisocial behaviour, former professional basketballer Greg Hire shares how a chance encounter with a head coach set him on a path that would change his life for the better.    A self-confessed member of WA's 'KGB' growing up, he explains why his difficult upbringing gave him the insight and perspective to give back to the community that helped him as a teenager. We also deep dive into the stigma that still surrounds mental health in our community.    If you wish to find out more about his charity and how they aim to educate their participants about the importance of mental health and wellbeing, you can check it out here:   https://stitchintime.org.au/    You can also follow along Greg's journey on instagram  

Lumberjack. Hockey player. Salesman. Yogi. Learn some invaluable life lessons from Chesley Long, an entrepreneur who has lived on the road around the world for the last 5 years.

Lessons in leadership. Patrick Cripps is a leader on and off the field. In this episode he elaborates on what leadership means to him and the fact that it's not about a title, it's about getting the best out of people as well on what constitutes success. We discuss why Patrick is always striving to get better and how his core values show up in his life. A real ripper this one. 

A 6'10” foreigner who's never heard of Melbourne? You'd be thinking, "What an idiot, right?". Mason Cox is far from it. Somewhat of an enigma in Australia, he sticks to his values and enjoys the fact that he had a relatively 'unknown' life before arriving in Australia.   He shares what motivates him, why he believes it's important to align with your purpose and why the criticism he sometimes cops doesn't faze him. He also tells me why he's keen to stick around in Australia once he's finished playing professional sport.