The Grey Man Podcast

From multiple Army deployments to rebuilding veterans in the wilderness — Dan Vincent’s story is one of identity, adversity, and reconstruction.

After 16 years in the Australian Army, a serious spinal injury forced Dan into the difficult transition out of service. Instead of losing direction, he rebuilt it — now serving as Chairman of Trojans Trek, a wilderness-based recovery program helping veterans, first responders, and police rediscover purpose through hardship, reflection, and tribe.

In this episode we explore identity loss after service, the psychological battle of transition, rebuilding purpose, and the real impact Trojans Trek is having on the veteran community.

This is the story of what happens after the uniform comes off.

Army veteran Sam Wride joins the podcast to talk service life, transition, and forging a new identity through Armoured Fighting. We unpack the reality of life after the military, the importance of finding a strong tribe, and what it means to raise durable, resilient kids in today’s world. Sam also explains the brutal and disciplined sport of Armoured Fighting — what it takes, why it matters, and how purpose never truly leaves the warrior.

Scott Steer is an Infantry veteran, with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, Judo coach, and founder of Veterans Grappling — a combat sports initiative built specifically for veterans navigating life after service.

In this conversation, we explore why grappling offers something most support systems can’t: structure, accountability, and brotherhood. Scott shares how Judo and grappling help veterans process stress, regain confidence, and rebuild identity through controlled adversity.

This episode is about purpose, discipline, and why sometimes the best therapy happens on the mat.

Raw, honest, and practical — especially for those who’ve worn a uniform.

In this one-on-one episode of The Grey Man Podcast, I sit down again with Tommo Williams, an Australian Afghanistan veteran, to strip things back and go deeper than we could in our previous group conversation.

This is a quieter, more focused conversation — and because of that, it cuts harder.

We talk about what combat actually does to a man.
Not the movies. Not the war stories.
But the long tail that follows you home.

Tommo opens up about his deployment to Afghanistan, the intensity of contact, the responsibility placed on young soldiers, and how war forges identity — while civilian life often offers nothing to replace it with.

We dig into PTSD, psych wards, loss of purpose, and the uncomfortable truth that Defence is very good at making soldiers… and not very good at unmaking them.

This episode isn’t about blame.
It’s about honesty.

About what happens when the structure, clarity, and brotherhood disappear — and you’re expected to just “adjust”.

If you’ve served, are serving, or care about someone who has, this conversation will resonate.

No hype.
No politics.
Just the reality of life after war.

In this episode of The Grey Man Podcast, I sit down with Dael Liddicoat, former Australian Regular Army Engineering Officer and the founder of Ledi Water-Makers.

Dael walks through his journey from military service to entrepreneurship—what it really looked like transitioning out of Defence, identifying a real-world capability gap, and then backing himself to solve it.

As the sole designer and creator of Ledi water purification systems, Dael breaks down:

• The mindset shift from Army officer to founder

• How military engineering thinking translates into real-world problem solving

• Building a product from scratch without corporate backing

• Why water security, self-reliance, and practical capability matter more than ever

This is a grounded conversation about service, responsibility, and taking ownership—moving from being part of a system to building one that stands on its own.

If you’re interested in Defence transition, engineering, entrepreneurship, or building something that actually matters, this episode delivers.

Find the Ledi systems at: https://lediwatermaker.com/

Army veteran, marriage celebrant, and public speaker Gary Wilson joins The Grey Man Podcast to talk about masculinity in the modern world.

We explore how male identity has shifted, why so many men feel uncertain or disconnected, and what strength, leadership, and accountability actually look like today.

This is a grounded conversation about purpose, responsibility, and earning respect — without outdated stereotypes or empty motivation.

A must-listen for men trying to navigate modern life with clarity and backbone.

Xander Lucas is an Army, Navy, and Victoria Police veteran — and the author of Frontline Earth – The Last Alliance.

In this episode, we talk service across multiple uniforms, identity after the frontline, and how writing became a new mission once the badge came off.

A raw, honest conversation about duty, transition, and purpose after service.

🎙️ The Grey Man Podcast — out now.

Ryan Shaw spent 13 years in the Australian Army as a Rifleman, Recon-qualified soldier, and Sniper Team Leader with deployments to Timor and Afghanistan.

In this episode, we go beyond the job title and talk about:

• What the sniper role really demands

• Leadership and accountability

• Transitioning out of the Army

• Carrying service forward through charity and community work

Ryan now serves on the boards of Brothers and Books (Australian Bibliotherapy Foundation), The Australian Sniper Foundation, and several veteran and DV-focused charities.

This is a conversation about purpose after war — and why service never truly ends.

After one of the most-viewed episodes of the year, Liam Badger reflects on what followed.

Not the views — but the messages.

Old mates. Former instructors. People he hadn’t spoken to in years.

This is a raw street interview about what happens after your story goes public, and the difference between online noise and real-world connection.

Two combat veterans. Two wars. One honest conversation about what happens after.

Tommo Williams (Afghanistan) and SGT Wardawg (Iraq, Fallujah) break down combat, PTSD, psych wards, addiction, and rebuilding life after everything falls apart.

Dark humour. Hard truths. No bullshit.