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Fremantle Dockers star Luke Ryan has found himself at the centre of a baby drama involving not one, but two children, with DNA tests, lawyers and even AFL teammates being drawn into the fallout.
As previously reported by the Daily Mail, Ryan, 30, and a Perth woman welcomed a son together in March.
But behind the scenes, Ryan was dealing with another bombshell: he had recently discovered he was already the father of a daughter born several years earlier.
There was no infidelity or suggestion of impropriety, with the daughter's conception understood to have pre-dated Ryan's relationship with the mother of his son.
The Mail understands Ryan's paternity of the girl was only established last year.
Sources say the discovery initially left the footballer 'stressed', but that he has since embraced his role in his daughter's life after learning of the genetic link.
Ryan and a Perth woman (above) welcomed a son together in March. He is listed as the dad on the birth certificate, but the process of establishing a relationship is understood to be ongoing
The Mail understands that Ryan has been making moves behind closed doors to make that happen, including seeking to have his son's last name changed to Ryan
The revelation, however, came as an unexpected development for the mother of his son, who is now a single mother after she and Ryan parted ways.
Ryan is listed as the dad on his son's birth certificate, but the process of establishing a relationship is said to be ongoing.
The Mail understands that Ryan has been making moves behind closed doors to make that happen, including seeking to have his son's last name changed to Ryan.
Sources claim he has even proposed that Dockers teammate Brennan Cox and partner Keah Woods, as well as former player Brandon Matera and his wife Samantha, be present during any meeting with his son.
Ryan's parents, who live in Melbourne but regularly travel to Perth, have also reportedly been put forward as potential supervisors for visits on suggested dates.
However, it is understood the child's mother proposed that her own parents be present for the initial meeting.
The Daily Mail understands an offer was put to Ryan's lawyer in May but was not responded to.
Ryan's mother Dianne is also believed to have been contacted during a visit to Perth and offered the opportunity to meet her grandson.
Prior to their son's arrival, the pair had plans to co-parent. Then the situation was complicated by the discovery that Ryan was already a father to a daughter conceived years earlier
A photo of the baby announcement made headlines in Perth before the story disappeared
When the press announced the woman's pregnancy, comments included readers wondering why the story said he was 'expected to become a dad', when it was known he already was one
In Perth's notoriously gossipy football circles, Ryan's status as a father of two has been described as 'an open secret' - with some baffled that the revelation had not previously made headlines.
Indeed, when the local press reported the pregnancy last year, the comments section was peppered with questions from readers about why Ryan was being described as 'expected to become a dad' when, according to the commenters, he was already understood to have a daughter.
'Become a dad? What about his daughter?' one person wrote.
'Become a father next year? He already has a daughter,' another added.
The Mail has been unable to locate an active link to the original article, suggesting it has since been removed from the publication's website.
However, screenshots and traces of the story remain online.
Ryan grew up in Melbourne and played local football for Maribyrnong Park before joining Coburg Football Club in the VFL.
He was drafted by Fremantle in 2016 and went on to establish himself as one of the Dockers' key defenders, winning the Doig Medal in 2023.
Representatives for Ryan and the Fremantle Dockers did not respond to repeated requests for comment this week.
Before publishing our initial story last week, a lawyer acting for Ryan sent the Mail a brief letter which did not deny that he is the father of two children or address the specific questions put to him.
The claims surrounding Ryan come amid a run of football headlines involving players, journalists and off-field dramas.
On Tuesday, 7NEWS AFL journalist Mitch Cleary admitted he kissed a Collingwood staff member while his fiancée Kate Watts was pregnant with their first child.
Cleary apologised after the Mail was first to name him in connection with online rumours which erupted after Watts called him out in a since-deleted Instagram post.
Meanwhile, the Sydney Swans are still dealing with the fallout from the so-called 'hotel incident' at the Pullman East Melbourne following the club's MCG clash with Essendon on August 16.
Five players were stood down after allegedly drinking, partying and hiring strippers to their hotel room.
