Port Adelaide AFLW coach Lauren Arnell and partner Lexi Edwards welcome their first child

Port Adelaide AFLW coach Lauren Arnell has given birth to her first child.

Port Adelaide AFLW coach Lauren Arnell has given birth to a baby girl.

Arnell, the Power’s inaugural AFLW coach, and wife Lexi Edwards welcomed Marlie Margaret Edwards into the world on Thursday at 9.06am.

Baby Marlie weighed 3.34kg and measured 50.5cm.

Arnell shared the news with the Port Adelaide player and staff WhatsApp group on Saturday night with dozens of congratulations messages flooding back to her.

Marlie Margaret Edwards, the daughter of Port Adelaide AFLW coach Lauren Arnell and wife Lexi Edwards, was born on January 4.

Marlie weighed in at 3.34kg when she was born.

In an Instagram post, Edwards said her and Arnell were “totally smitten already”.

When she was pregnant Arnell was the first AFLW senior coach to be so while in the role.

She told The Advertiser in September how her and Edwards started their pregnancy journey through IVF in 2020.

She had a miscarriage in early 2022, just before she was approached to become the Power’s AFLW coach.

Arnell then had another one after she came to Adelaide later that year.

Ahead of the birth, Arnell and Edwards – who coaches Glenelg’s SANFLW side – tied the knot in Adelaide in October after being engaged for two and a half years.

The Power announced in November that former Gold Coast captain Sam Virgo will stand-in as its AFLW coach while Arnell is on parental leave.

In its second season in the AFLW competition, the Power finished 15th with two wins and a draw.

After the season ended now departed head of AFLW Juliet Haslam said the Power needed to provide Arnell with more support with assistant coaches as the club backed in the first AFLW player to become a senior coach at the level.

Originally published as Port Adelaide AFLW coach Lauren Arnell and partner Lexi Edwards welcome their first child