Melbourne Calling

Queensland born athlete Tayla Harris has racked up an impressive list of achievements at just 24. The marquee player spent several years with AFLW clubs Brisbane and Carlton before landing at premiership contenders Melbourne this year. Harris is also an accomplished fighter with a 7-0 record in the boxing ring. Off field, Harris won praise for standing up against sexist bullying by online trolls, which became a flashpoint in the conversation over equality for women in sport. But as Harris tells Steve, she is far from finished. She sits down for Melbourne Calling at the iconic Victoria Park to discuss footy, fighting and life in the spotlight. Thanks for listening. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

Stephen Jolly talks to Cllrs Daria Kellander and Gaetano Greco. Thanks to Catherine Mililli. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

It's all sex and the city in this episode of Melbourne Calling. From turning Melbourne into Australia's Berlin, to being a naked psychologist, to trans men being underrepresented in the sex industry, to online censorship, to finding common ground with the local church. Recorded in Eagle Leather. Thanks for listening. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

Australian troops are finally leaving Afghanistan after 20 years of war. The fighting may be over but the struggle continues for many of the 40,000 Australians who served, with suicide and mental health issues at epidemic levels. Stephen sat down with Army veterans Brendan and Laurence for harrowing first-hand accounts of combat in Australia's longest war. The two former soldiers discuss whether a Royal Commission will fix veteran suicides, explain what led them to military life and grapple with an RSL that seems unable to shake an addiction to poker machines. For support call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Veterans can call Open Arms on 1800 011 046 Thanks for listening. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

"You lose everything when you walk in those gates - your family, your job, everything. And after you've done your time, you walk out those gates with nothing." What's life really like inside Victoria's crowded prisons? Stephen sat down with two recently released prisoners for a revealing discussion about life behind bars. In a gripping conversation, 'Stacey ' and 'Ben' reveal the emotional rollercoaster ride of the prison experience - from the horrors of a solo stint in 'the slot' to the banality of vegetable budgets. The pair also reflect on how the prison system can crush the life out of those within it - but amazingly, offer up some hope for both individual prisoners and society as a whole. Thanks for listening. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

Sean Song and Doris Yanzi are two ordinary Chinese Australians talking about what it's like living in Australia today in a time of growing tensions between Australia and China. There are discussions around racism, the economic situation, social issues and the impact of Covid. Thanks for listening, see you next week. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

Tim Gurner is a Melbourne property developer with an enormous fortune and an even bigger reputation. His company - GURNER - has more than 5700 apartments under construction with a reported value of $3.8 billion across Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.The Rich Lister sits down with Steve to discuss how he turned a small investment in a Melbourne gym into a reported $600 million fortune. In a long ranging discussion Gurner also reveals why he always uses union labour, what the government should do to solve the homeless crisis and what he likes about Donald Trump. And of course the infamous “smashed avo” comments. Thanks for listening, see you next week. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

Stephen sits down with a panel of prominent leftists to discuss the troubling state of the Left, the future of the union movement in Australia, whether the Greens could ever win over the working class and much more. Alison Pennington is a senior economist with the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work. Guy Rundle is a writer, political commentator and correspondent-at-large for Crikey. Jeff Sparrow is an activist and author of numerous books including Fascists Among Us: Online Hate and the Christchurch Massacre. Tom Ballard is a comedian, podcaster and television host currently performing We Are All In This at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Thanks for listening, see you next week. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

Professor Gary Foley is an historian, academic and freedom fighter of Gumbainggir descent who has been on the front line of Aboriginal rights and justice battles for more than 50 years. In 1972 he helped establish the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra which came to be a defining event in the Black Power movement. Later, he was involved in setting up the first Victorian Aboriginal Health service in Fitzroy. The lifelong Marxist has been involved in countless struggles including the epic fight to save Northland Secondary College from closure in the 1990s. Famed for his debating skills, Prof Foley demolished right wing journalists and politicians alike with his intellect and wit. Prof Foley sits down with Stephen to explain how he led a group of working class parents and students to victory in the Supreme Court against the ruthless right wing Kennett Government. The wide-ranging discussion also covers the origins of the Black Power movement in Australia, the problem with Collingwood Football Club, the future of the Greens Party and much more. Thanks for listening, see you next week. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

Domenic "Mick" Gatto is a mediator, debt collector and ex-boxer with a colourful reputation linked to Melbourne's underworld. Gatto is often called a 'survivor' for having lived through one of the most violent periods in the city's history - the Gangland Wars of the 2000s which saw a number of his associates and friends murdered. But is Gatto the man viewers saw on hit show Underbelly, or is there more to the story? Gatto sat down with Stephen to talk about life in the media spotlight, dealing with tragedy, the war on drugs, which former Aussie PM earned his respect and more. Thanks for listening, see you next week. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website

When COVID hit Victoria, the building industry was in danger of being wiped out. Thousands of jobs were at risk during the prolonged lockdown. Then the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMMEU) stepped in with a plan to keep construction going while safeguarding workers from the deadly virus. The industry was kept on life-support and is now ramping up to power the state's recovery. CFMMEU Victorian State Secretary John Setka proudly explains how his union helped steer the construction industry through its worst crisis in a hundred years. The firebrand trade unionist's style has made him a target for the left and right alike. But behind the headlines is a man with a near-messianic focus on workplace safety - the legacy of almost losing his father in the West Gate Bridge collapse. Listen to Stephen and John discuss all of this in the context of the enduring strength of the union, the role of women in the industry, the problem with the Federal ALP and much more. Thanks for listening, see you next week. Follow us on social media: Twitter / Facebook / Instagram Visit our Website