| Phoenix Spicer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Phoenix Spicer | ||
| Born |
(2002-01-30)30 January 2002 Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia | ||
| Died | 2 January 2026(2026-01-02) (aged 23) | ||
| Original team | South Adelaide (SANFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 42, 2020 AFL draft, North Melbourne | ||
| Debut | 22 August 2021, North Melbourne vs. Adelaide, at Adelaide Oval | ||
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb) | ||
| Positions | Midfielder, forward | ||
| Playing career | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2021–2023 | North Melbourne | 12 (2) | |
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Phoenix Spicer (30 January 2002 – 2 January 2026) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Spicer was selected at pick 42 in the 2020 AFL draft from SANFL club South Adelaide.[1][2][3]
Early life and junior career
Spicer was born in Gove in the Northern Territory, but moved around through the first years of his life, living in Adelaide, Numbulwar and Darwin, before relocating permanently to Adelaide as a 10-year-old to live with his grandfather.[4] His grandfather died when Spicer was a teenager. Spicer then moved in with a host family.[5]
He attended Hamilton Secondary College before transitioning to Henley High School to further his opportunities as a footballer.[citation needed]
In his junior leagues, Spicer played for the Edwardstown Football Club and then the Morphettville Park Football Club.[citation needed]
Spicer was invited to try out for West Adelaide's under-16s team, but because of the lengthy commute from his home in the southern suburbs, his host family instead joined South Adelaide's under-16s team, and later played for their under-18s team.[5] He recorded the fastest time of any participant in the agility test of South Adelaide's under-18s testing in 2019 and was contacted by recruiters from several AFL clubs in 2019, but his 2020 playing season was interrupted by a broken arm.[4] He was drafted by North Melbourne with the 42nd selection of the 2020 AFL draft.[4][5]
AFL career
Spicer made his debut during round 23 of the 2021 AFL season with the Kangaroos playing against Adelaide in a losing game in which Spicer had seven disposals.[4][6] He suffered from hamstring injuries and was limited to playing one game in his debut season and five games near the end of the 2022 season.[5]
Spicer was involved in the design of North Melbourne's special guernsey for the 2023 Sir Doug Nicholls Round. The guernsey, called "Connecting Through Identity", included the totems of the team's First Nations players, including a barramundi to represent Spicer.[5][7]
Spicer was delisted by North Melbourne in October 2023 after playing a total of 12 matches.[4][8]
Post-AFL career
After being delisted, Spicer played for Darwin in the NTFL's summer season. He then joined Footscray, the Western Bulldogs' reserves team in the Victorian Football League, for the 2024 season.[9][10]
Spicer was named in the VFL's state squad for their matches against the SANFL in both 2024 and 2025.[11][12] He nominated for the 2025 mid-season rookie draft, but was not drafted.[13] He was named as an emergency player for Footscray in the 2025 VFL Grand Final, in which Footscray defeated Southport.[14][15]
Spicer died on 2 January 2026 at the age of 23.[16][17]
Statistics
Updated to the end of the 2023 season.[18]
G
|
Goals | K
|
Kicks | D
|
Disposals | T
|
Tackles |
B
|
Behinds | H
|
Handballs | M
|
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
| 2021 | North Melbourne | 36 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 | North Melbourne | 36 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 5 | 9 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 2.2 | 5.6 | 1.0 | 1.8 |
| 2023 | North Melbourne | 36 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 21 | 39 | 6 | 23 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 3.8 |
References
- ^ Laughton, Max (10 December 2020). "AFL Draft Tracker: See every pick and trade made by every club". Fox Sports. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ "AFL Draft 2020: Pick-by-pick". The Age. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ "Pick 42: Phoenix Spicer". North Melbourne Kangaroos Media. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Clark, Jackson (28 September 2023). "Phoenix Spicer delisted by North Melbourne". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d e John, Nathan (18 May 2023). "The life of Spicer: Phoenix's journey from Numbulwar to North Melbourne". nmfc.com.au. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Phoenix Spicer to debut". 20 August 2021.
- ^ Vinall, Marnie (19 May 2023). "Family, culture and pride: The stories behind every AFL Indigenous jumper". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "North Melbourne confirms four list changes". 27 September 2023.
- ^ Clark, Jackson (18 March 2024). "Star Western Australian goal-kicker Joins Collingwood VFL". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "2024 'Scray squad locked in". westernbulldogs.com.au. 15 March 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Smithy's VFL State Team squad announced". AFL.com.au. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Dogs duo in VFL State Team Squad, Edge named assistant coach". westernbulldogs.com.au. 28 March 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ Twomey, Callum (27 May 2025). "Full list of nominees for the 2025 Mid-Season Rookie Draft". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "2025 Smithy's VFL Grand Final match-day guide". AFL.com.au. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "VFL Match report: Footscray dig deep in Grand Final thriller". westernbulldogs.com.au. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
- ^ "Former North Melbourne player Phoenix Spicer passes away, aged 23". Fox Sports. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "Former North Melbourne player Phoenix Spicer mourned after death at age of 23". Herald-Sun. News Corporation Australia. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
- ^ "Phoenix Spicer". AFL Tables. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
External links
- Phoenix Spicer's profile on the official website of the North Melbourne Football Club
- Phoenix Spicer's playing statistics from AFL Tables
- Phoenix Spicer at AustralianFootball.com
