Dan Gorringe has quickly become synonymous with AFL media as one of the industry's leading "disruptors", forging his own path and establishing the No. 1 podcast in the sport.
Podcasts Dan Does Footy (466,000 followers on Instagram) and List Cloggers (37,000 followers) were the culmination of resilience and hard work that have subsequently paid off.
But for those who have paid attention, his career in the AFL began long before he jumped behind a microphone and started doing comedic challenges for the masses.
Gorringe was a top-10 Pick in the 2010 National Draft ahead of Gold Coast's introduction to the AFL, and was welcomed to the then start-up side.
Utilised as a ruckman and key forward, the South Australian debuted early in his Suns' inaugural season, and was listed for five seasons, totalling 22 matches before he was delisted.
Carlton saw the potential in Gorringe and recruited him to Princes Park, but after four games and two years, he was found without an AFL contract again.
"I'm incredibly grateful for my AFL journey, even as short-lived and uneventful as it was," Gorringe told Zero Hanger.
"I knew early, as soon as I arrived at the Suns, that I wasn't mentally prepared to play at the highest level. Talent-wise, I didn't question myself, but believing in myself and changing my mindset to believe I could do it was another thing entirely.
"The industry is a cut-throat one where every day you're fighting against your own and others to get ahead or to somehow improve your own situation. On top of that, you're dealing with the media and the fans. The AFL is a pressure cooker where there are a lot more downs than there are ups."
But while his footballing career may not have been the raging success he initially hoped when he walked through the doors of the Gold Coast Suns in 2010, it helped unearth a different career that has since boomed for Gorringe.
From locking himself in a Hard Rated glass box for 48 hours to dying his hair blue to getting a Stewy Dew tattoo on his backside, there's nothing that Gorringe won't do.
"We're always looking to push the boundaries on every brand partnership we do, where the brand and ourselves work together to create something unique and eye-catching," he continued.
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"When Hard Rated came to us and we pitched an idea of locking myself in a box, and from there, the teams worked together to land on a 48-hour lock-in live stream outside the MCG.
"The only difficulty, for me personally, was trying to sleep at night. There is something a little eerie about sleeping outside the MCG in a box that is streamed to thousands of people who are watching you sleep. It felt very much like The Truman Show."
List Cloggers was arguably Gorringe's big break in the AFL media market, teaming up with former teammate Dylan Buckley during COVID-19, launching the podcast in 2010.
The entertaining and insightful chats were a means of adding joy and laughter to a bleak time, whilst also putting the fun back into football.
"It was the first media I had ever done and, coming off the back of a 26-game career, it's hard to get people to listen and respect what you're saying," Gorringe said.
"I think the stories we told and our angle for content made it relatable to a huge audience of football lovers and players who know what it's like to try your hardest every week and see no results."
@listcloggers Replying to @MJR show some respect. #footy #listcloggers ♬ original sound - List Cloggers Pty Ltd
But what happened next launched Gorringe's career, and ultimately saw him become the media sensation he is today.
"Through the List Cloggers experience, I got to understand that a market existed for more football content in a different and unique way, so DDF (Dan Does Footy) was born," he added.
"DDF has blown every expectation I had of what it would become out of the water. I could never have dreamt that we'd have the cut-through that we have had, and I'm forever grateful to our community of DDF fans.
"I see us continuing to shape and remould sports media in Australia. We have so many plans to enhance the delivery of football to the country, and I can't wait to grow what we're doing with our amazing team and amazing audience"
Dan Does Footy is in its second year and has a team of 12 people, which is increasing as the podcast grows.
Gorringe continues to find his way through this ever-changing media landscape and isn't afraid of a bit of "trial and error" before striking gold.
That includes working in tandem with football clubs, fans and even players.
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"The players and clubs are awesome. They lean into our chaos massively. There have only been a handful of situations where clubs or players have asked us to either remove something or not talk about a situation, and we totally respect that, as we want to promote the league and players as much as we can," he said.
"The biggest learning curve, and thing I've realised, is that not everyone is going to like you, and that's okay. If you think that everyone in this space is going to think you're funny or want to listen, then you're in the wrong space. Just create stuff that you like and don't listen to, or consume, negative feedback that will make you think otherwise."
Gorringe has found new, innovative ways to keep his audience hooked and engaged, and we can't wait to see what's next.
