The kind of mateship where you don’t have to pretend
This Men's Health Month, we sat down with radio duo Will & Woody and asked them to get real about mateship, vulnerability and why talking to your mates opens you up to a whole new world of friendship.
If you listen to Will and Woody on the radio for long enough, you get the sense pretty quickly that the friendship behind the microphones is very real.
The chemistry is obvious, but so is the care they have for each other. Beneath the jokes and banter is a friendship built on trust, emotional honesty and years of quietly showing up for one another.
When asked what he appreciates most about Woody, Will explains that their friendship works because neither of them feels pressure to be any particular version of themselves around the other.
“Our friendship traverses all grounds. We don’t have to be in any singular gear with each other. However we’re feeling is what we bring to the space and the other one accepts it.”
Woody sees it similarly.
“Bloody hell. If I had to distill it down to a nice and short digestible response it would be the fun that we have together which he works tirelessly to protect.
“He is also constantly aware of how I’m feeling and goes above and beyond to make sure I’m ok. In a weird way he kind of acts like a second father whilst also playing with me like he is a sibling. Writing this down I am starting to get worried that maybe we are getting too close.”
That balance between humour and honesty is part of what makes their friendship feel relatable. They don’t speak about support in a polished or overly serious way. Instead, they describe the quieter moments that happen behind the scenes when one person notices the other isn’t quite themselves.
For both of them, that support has become part of everyday life.
“There’s been heaps of times one of us has walked into work and clearly not been with it,” Will says. “Sometimes we’ll have a proper conversation about what’s going on, and sometimes the other person can just tell.”
Woody agrees. “It literally happens every day. I think on some subconscious level we can both sense when the other is a bit off and therefore will do whatever is needed to give support.”
That kind of understanding didn’t appear overnight. It came from years of building trust, paying attention and learning how to read each other beyond the surface-level “I’m fine”.
“That’s only developed over time,” Will explains. “Don’t just assume this happens.”
Sometimes showing up looks serious. Other times it looks like humour at exactly the right moment.
Will remembers one day recently when he was struggling before work and received a message from Woody.
“‘Don’t worry about bringing any energy you don’t have today, mate. I’ll be the dickhead for both of us.’”
Woody recalls another moment that stuck with him while interviewing comedian David Walliams.
“I was pretty nervous to meet him and that led to me being a little quiet in the chat. At one point David asked if I offered anything to the show. He was obviously joking but Will still jumped in and aggressively defended me. He always has my back and I feel like I can take anything on when I know that.”
When they talk about what being a good mate actually means, neither of them mentions having perfect advice or always saying the right thing.
For Woody, it’s much simpler than that. “Just being there. Being there during the happy and fun times but also being there through the s**t.
“A good mate to me is someone who is happiest for your successes and there for a cuddle during the failures.”
Will describes it similarly. “Loving them despite who or how they are. Just seeing them and being happy in that presence is everything.”
Both of them believe a lot of men are craving exactly that kind of friendship, even if they don’t always know how to ask for it. “We just want someone to hang with and let our guard down around,” Will says.
But for many men, vulnerability still feels uncomfortable. There’s often a fear that bringing up something serious will ruin the mood or change the friendship.
“So many men think that their friendships are based on banter and beers at the pub,” Woody says, “and that bringing up anything serious or sad will ruin the vibe.”
In reality, they’ve found the opposite tends to happen. “The vibes and banter are even better after a good old deep and meaningful chat.”
Will agrees that a lot of men are still carrying outdated ideas about masculinity. “We’ve been told that to be vulnerable means we’re not living up to what’s expected of us. To be stoic and strong and all that bullshit.”
At the same time, both of them have seen how quickly walls come down once one person speaks honestly first.
“If you talk, you would be amazed at the amount of guys that will talk back,” Will says.
That’s why they believe these conversations matter, especially between mates. Too many men are still struggling in silence, worried they’ll be judged for speaking openly about what they’re carrying.
For Will and Woody, friendship isn’t about pretending everything is fine all the time. It’s about creating the kind of relationship where you don’t have to.