AFL community mourns after the tragic death of Phoenix Spicer at age 23

The Australian football community is mourning the sudden and tragic passing of former North Melbourne AFL player Phoenix Spicer who died on Friday night, January 2 at the age of 23.

The news broke in a post from Dharna Nicholson-Bux stating: "On behalf of my sister Ky-ya and our family, we are devastated to share that last night we tragically lost our brother Phoenix Spicer. A beautiful, loyal and strong Nunggubuyu man.”

“Phoenix will forever be our beloved uncle, son, a partner to Ky-ya and a second dad to Jordy.”, the statement continued.

Spicer played 12 games for the Kangaroos after being drafted in the 2020 national draft. He also played 18 games across two seasons for the Footscray Bulldogs in the VFL.

In a statement released by North Melbourne on Saturday night, club president Dr Sonja Hood noted that although Phoenix was the only club for a short time, he was a beloved member of the playing group.

The AFL Players Association lamented the loss following Phoenix’s tragic passing in a short statement from CEO James Gallagher.

The statement reads, “The AFL Players' Association is saddened by the passing of our member Phoenix Spicer who played 12 AFL matches for North Melbourne from 2021 to 2023.”

Spicer completed the agility test in the SANFL’s 2019 Under 18 pre-season in 7.8 seconds, which was the fastest time of any participant.

Spicer got his first taste of AFL football in the 2021 season when he made his debut in his home state against the Crows.

The loss of a young talent marks a profoundly sad moment for the Australian football community, sparking an outpouring of grief from family, teammates and fans across the AFL.