AFL legend’s daughter shares big news after break-up from disgraced NRL player
The daughter of a football icon has announced big personal news after her split from disgraced NRL player Brett Finch.
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Elli Johnston has announced she and partner Liam Hillen are pregnant as they start a new life together.
The daughter of Carlton football legend Wayne “Dominator” Johnston shared the special news on Instagram on Monday with the post being flooded with congratulatory messages from Australian celebrities.
Johnston in 2023 split from disgraced former NRL player Brett Finch and her romance with Hillen, an amateur boxer, became public news in August, 2024, as first reported by The Herald Sun.
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Johnston’s announcement was made in the caption of an Instagram gallery that showed the couple frolicking along the beach at Snapper Rocks, south of the Gold Coast.
“We are so so so excited to meet you,’’ Johnston captioned images showing her growing baby bump.
The post shows Johnston enjoying her time at the iconic surf beach wearing a black string bikini.
Another photo shows the couple sharing a kiss on the sand with Hillen sporting a rash vest and Johnston a bright pink swim suit.
The post has been flooded with messages, including from Kate Waterhouse, former AFL star Brent Staker, model Jessie Roberts and Bra Boys reality TV star Koby Abberton.
Johnston already shares a daughter with Finch, five-year-old Mackenzie.
Hillen also has a child from a previous relationship.
Johnston married Finch in 2018 and publicly supported the former Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm player throughout his trial before he was convicted in 2022 of sharing child sex abuse material online.
Finch avoided jail time and was handed a two-year community sentence after pleading guilty to one child abuse material charge.
Finch said during the trial he had a chronic drug abuse addiction.
Following Finch’s sentencing, Johnston posted a photo of her daughter on social media and called her the “most resilient little girl”.
“It’s been an extremely traumatic situation for myself, Mackenzie & Brett. And now (we) need time to heal individually and as a family,” Johnston said in 2022.
Johnston recently celebrated Mackenzie attending primary school for the first time.
“And just like that she’s in school, time moves so so fast,’ she wrote alongside a video of the pair together.
“I am so proud of you Macky. I can’t wait to watch to thrive.”
Originally published as AFL legend’s daughter shares big news after break-up from disgraced NRL player
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