AFL legend Jimmy Bartel and his partner Amelia Shepperd have shared a surprise announcement after secretly welcoming their second baby together.
The couple chose to keep Shepperd’s pregnancy private, only announcing the news on Instagram on Wednesday evening after the little one’s arrival.
Bartel shared a black and white snap of himself holding his daughter in the hospital, revealing her name in a heartfelt caption.
“Kaia Rae Bartel. 28.10.2026.
“Our beautiful little girl was in a rush to join our family. Aston, Henley and Paloma already adore their little sister,” Bartel wrote, mentioning his three other children.
“How lucky is she to have @milly_shepperd as her beautiful mum.”
The post was quickly flooded with congratulatory messages and well wishes for the family.
“Congratulations guys. ❤️,” commented fellow AFL great Joel Selwood.
“!!!!! This is amazing news. Enjoy this time, so happy for you!” wrote Paralympian swimmer Ellie Cole.
“She’s here! Congratulations family,” TV host Jacqueline Felgate wrote.
Bartel and Shepperd already share three-year-old daughter Paloma Lucia.
The former Geelong star also shares two sons, Aston, 10, and Henley, seven, with ex-wife Nadia Bartel.
The former couple split in 2019 following an 11-year relationship.
Bartel and Shepperd went public with their relationship in early December 2021, although they reportedly started dating months earlier in July.
The couple announced they were expecting their first child together in October 2022, just a few months after their one-year anniversary.
Bartel was very open about the pregnancy, sharing a gender reveal and his anxiety about having a daughter.
“I am petrified at the moment. (We are) having a little girl. My two older sisters only have boys. This is my mum’s 11th grandchild and this is the first girl,” he told the Herald Sun at the time.
“A few things are going through my head, well how do I do their hair. So, I am a bit scared to be honest.”
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