AFL
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The Fremantle Football Club is excited for inaugural player Ebony Antonio, who revealed to her teammates on Tuesday that she and her partner, former inaugural player and current Fremantle AFLW backline coach Kara Antonio, are expecting their first child in October.

Antonio said revealing the news to the group, whom she fondly considers her sisters, was a weight off her shoulders.

“It’s really hard to go through the first 13 weeks and tell a lot of white lies to get to this point,” Antonio said post-announcement.

“Obviously, the Freo family and the Freo girls are my close family as well. I consider them all sisters, and I’m so glad they get to be aunties.

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'There's a new baby Antonio on the way!' | Ebony Antonio

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“Especially, the OG girls who have been here since the start, and a few of the closer mates I’ve made along the journey.”

Antonio’s pregnancy will see her miss the 2025 NAB AFLW season, which begins in August.

“It’s a really interesting one. I’ve had plenty of thoughts about whether I’ve played my last game for Freo, or maybe I’ll come back next year, but I just really want to enjoy this journey with Kara and have our first child together,” Antonio said.

“I’m just really looking forward to this next part of my life.”

Fellow inaugural teammate and great friend Kiara Bowers went through a similar journey in 2024, with the birth of her second child placing her on the inactive list for the season.

“I will definitely be asking her (Bowers) 21 questions,” Antonio joked.

Fremantle’s Head of AFLW Claire Heffernan said the Club will work with the AFL to finalise the process for a replacement player on the list.

“We are so over the moon for Epps (Ebony) and Kara, and we look forward to seeing how this next chapter of their lives unfolds,” Heffernan said.

“Although Ebony will be a great loss to our side for the upcoming season, we are always excited at the prospect of adding a new member to our list.

“Our list management team will work closely with the AFL as we go through the process of finding a replacement player for our list."

Fremantle signed Tunisha Kikoak in May of 2024 as Bowers' replacement player. Kikoak went on to play 11 games for the season.

Both Kikoak and Bowers remain on Fremantle’s AFLW list for the 2025 season.