Ebony Antonio

Ebony Antonio (born 18 December 1991) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL Women's (AFLW). Antonio represented The Allies in the inaugural AFL Women's State of Origin match in 2017, and won AFL Women's All-Australian selection and the Fremantle fairest and best award in 2018. She also won the Goal of the Year and shared the Western Derby Medal with Kiara Bowers in 2022 season 6.

Ebony Antonio
Antonio during a pre-season practice match for Fremantle in 2019
Personal information
Full name Ebony Antonio
Date of birth (1991-12-18) 18 December 1991
Original team(s) Swan Districts (WAWFL)
Draft 2016 priority selection
Debut Round 1, 2017, Fremantle vs. Western Bulldogs, at VU Whitten Oval
Height 173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Defender / forward
Club information
Current club Fremantle
Number 12
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2017– Fremantle 51 (26)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2017 The Allies 1 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2022 season 7.
2 State and international statistics correct as of 2017.
Career highlights
Source: AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Antonio attended Willetton Senior High School in Perth, Western Australia.[1] She played football and basketball as a junior. Between 2009 and 2011, she played in the State Basketball League (SBL) for the Willetton Tigers. During this time, she spent two seasons with the West Coast Waves in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). In 2012, she moved to Bendigo in Victoria to play for the Bendigo Braves and Bendigo Spirit. She played two seasons for both teams, and she was a member of the Spirit's 2012/13 and 2013/14 WNBL championship squads. In 2014, she returned to Perth to play for the Willetton Tigers before re-joining the Waves for 2014/15 season. She continued on with the Tigers in 2015 and 2016. She won championships with Willetton in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2016. She turned her attention to football in 2016, playing with the Swan Districts in the West Australian Women's Football League (WAWFL).[2] Antonio was signed as a priority player by Fremantle in August 2016 ahead of the league's inaugural 2017 season.[3]

AFL Women's career
Antonio during a pre-season practice match in 2018

Antonio made her debut in round 1, 2017 in the club's inaugural match against Western Bulldogs at VU Whitten Oval.[4] She was the first player to be suspended in the AFLW, receiving a one-week suspension for a high bump on Bulldogs defender Jess Gardner. Antonio returned to play for the Dockers' final five matches of the season. Antonio later played for The Allies in the inaugural AFL Women's State of Origin match against Victoria on 2 September, where she was named among the Allies' best players.[5] Fremantle signed Antonio for the 2018 season during the trade and signing period in May 2017.[6]

Antonio had a much improved season in 2018, when she was selected in the 2018 AFL Women's All-Australian team[7] and won the Fremantle fairest and best award.[8] She had minor surgery on her Achilles following the AFLW season, forcing her to miss most of the WAWFL season with Swan Districts.[9] Fremantle signed Antonio for the 2019 season during the trade and signing period in May 2018.[10]

Fremantle signed Antonio for the 2020 season during the trade and sign period in April 2019.[11]

Leading into the 2020 season, womens.afl journalist Sarah Black named Antonio at no. 20 on her list of the top 30 players in the AFLW.[12] She was selected in womens.afl's Team of the Week in round 6,[13] and was selected in the initial 40-woman squad for the 2020 AFL Women's All-Australian team.[14][15][16]

Leading into the 2021 season, Sarah Black named Antonio at no. 15 on her annual list of the top 30 players in the AFLW.[17] She was named among Fremantle's best players in its record-breaking Western Derby win over West Coast in round 6 with 23 disposals[18] and was selected in womens.afl's Team of the Week for that round.[19] In June 2021, Antonio re-signed with the club for two years.[20]

In round 1 of 2022 season 6, Antonio kicked three goals from twelve disposals, including a Goal of the Year contender in the first quarter, in Fremantle's Western Derby win to share the Western Derby Medal with teammate Kiara Bowers;[21] she also won the maximum ten coaches' votes[22] and was named in womens.afl's Team of the Week.[23] Antonio was named among Fremantle's best players in its round 4 win over Collingwood[24] and was best afield in Fremantle's win over the Western Bulldogs a few days later.[25] She was named among Fremantle's best players in its losses to North Melbourne in round 5[26] and Adelaide in round 8.[27] Antonio was one of three late outs for Fremantle heading into its record-breaking loss to Melbourne in round 9 due to the AFL's health and safety protocols,[28] before returning in round 10 against Gold Coast.[29]

Statistics

Updated to the end of 2022 season 6.[30]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2017Fremantle12 62145257019270.30.27.54.211.73.24.50
2018Fremantle12 73054409415310.40.07.75.713.42.14.40
2019Fremantle12 85562208214240.60.67.82.510.31.83.00
2020Fremantle12 74253328523300.60.37.64.612.13.34.30
2021Fremantle12 1014883612437380.10.48.83.612.43.73.80
2022 (S6)Fremantle12 11841024714933440.70.49.34.313.53.04.06
Career 4924164042006041411940.50.38.24.112.32.94.06

Personal life

Antonio became engaged to Fremantle teammate and captain Kara Donnellan in April 2018,[31] and they married in October 2019.[32]

Honours and achievements

References
  1. "BASKETBALL 18s GIRLS RESULTS & HISTORY 2009" (PDF). schoolsportwa.com.au. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2023.
  2. Coleman-Heard, Rory (8 March 2017). "Antonio drawing on experience". fremantlefc.com.au. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  3. van Straalen, Pia (30 September 2016). "Basketball star, footy lover: Ebony Antonio's timing is just right". Canning Times. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  4. Navaratnam, Dinny (4 February 2017). "Dogs dominate wayward Freo women's side". AFL Media. Bigpond. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  5. Black, Sarah (2 September 2017). "AFLW: Daisy stands tall as Big V dominates". afl.com.au. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  6. "AFLW: All the clubs' full lists after trade period". afl.com.au. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  7. Wood, Lauren (27 March 2018). "AFLW All-Australian team 2018: Chelsea Randall captain, four Bulldogs named". Fox Sports. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  8. "Antonio wins Freo's Fairest and Best". fremantlefc.com.au. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  9. Black, Sarah (21 June 2018). "AFLW: Freo duo likely to miss WAWFL season". afl.com.au. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  10. Black, Sarah (7 June 2018). "AFLW: Delisted Docker goes coast to coast". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  11. Black, Sarah (10 April 2019). "Eagles pinch star Dockers mid, Dees and Freo re-sign 18 each". womens.afl. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  12. Black, Sarah (18 January 2020). "Sarah Black's top 30: Athletic Docker slots in at No.20". womens.afl. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  13. Black, Sarah (17 March 2020). "AFLW Team of the Week, round six". womens.afl. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  14. Black, Sarah (3 April 2020). "REVEALED: Magpies lead the way in All-Australian squad". womens.afl. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  15. "AFLW statement: 2020 AFLW All-Australian Squad". womens.afl. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  16. Negrepontis, Nic (3 April 2020). "Official 2020 AFLW All-Australian squad revealed". SEN. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  17. Black, Sarah (27 January 2021). "Sarah Black's top 30 AFLW players: Blues dynamo rockets up to No.1". womens.afl. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  18. Schmook, Nathan (7 March 2021). "Derby domination: Dockers rack up huge score in rout". womens.afl. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  19. Black, Sarah (9 March 2021). "AFLW Team of the Week, round six". womens.afl. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  20. "AFLW: Antonios on board!". fremantlefc.com.au. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  21. Australian Associated Press (8 January 2022). "Turbo-charged Dockers maintain perfect Derby record as Ebony electrifies". womens.afl. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  22. "AFLCA votes, R1: Five perfect 10s, but who got the Derby nod?". womens.afl. 10 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  23. Black, Sarah (11 January 2022). "AFLW Team of the Week, round one". womens.afl. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  24. Black, Sarah (27 January 2022). "It's Miller time: Skipper steers Dockers to victory over Pies". womens.afl. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  25. Bastiani, Gemma (1 February 2022). "Undefeated Dockers dodge Dogs after late Antonio heroics". womens.afl. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  26. Black, Sarah (6 February 2022). "Kangas give Freo's unbeaten run the heave-ho". womens.afl. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  27. Schmook, Nathan (26 February 2022). "Crows grind out road win over Dockers in epic top-two battle". womens.afl. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  28. Bastiani, Gemma (5 March 2022). "DEE-MOLITION: Records tumble as Melbourne puts other clubs on notice". womens.afl. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
  29. "SUNDAY TEAMS: Crows captain returns, six HUGE ins for Dockers". womens.afl. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  30. "Ebony Antonio – player stats by season". Australian Football. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  31. "@kdjudd15 put a ring on it". Instagram. 11 April 2018. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
  32. Raynor, Bonnie (5 October 2019). "AFLW Dockers stars Kara Donnellan and Ebony Antonio tie the knot in front of friends and family". The West Australian. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
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