Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains images of deceased persons.<\/p>\n
Phoenix Spicer\u2019s cause of death has been revealed by his partner.<\/p>\n
The former North Melbourne player died earlier this month at the age of 23 with rumours swirling surrounding his passing.<\/p>\n
Days after his passing his family hit back to quash the misinformation before his partner, Ky-ya Nicholson Ward, took to social media to express her heartbreak at the tragic circumstances.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve decided to share what happened to my darling Phoenix, not because I have to, but because I want to raise awareness,\u201d Nicholson Ward wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhoenix took his last breath on Friday the 2nd of January but he DID NOT take his own life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found him \u2026 we tried with everything we could to save him but we didn\u2019t know he was already gone. It was the most traumatic experience of my life.<\/p>\n
\u201cDays later we found out that Phoenix passed into the Dreaming from a sudden brain aneurysm. He never complained of headaches or showed any signs that something was wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease, if you can, get checked and listen to your body. This can happen to anyone, at any time.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy heart is broken.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spicer was selected to play with North Melbourne from South Australia in the 2020 national draft, and played 12 games for the Kangaroos.<\/p>\n
His final game took place in round 14 of the 2023 season.<\/p>\n
Spicer also played a role assisting Emma Bamblett with the design of the team\u2019s 2023 Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey, which featured each of the team\u2019s First Nations players\u2019 totems.<\/p>\n
He played 18 games for the VFL Footscray Bulldogs across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.<\/p>\n
North Melbourne president Sonja Hood AM said: \u201cPhoenix was only at the club for a short time but he was a popular and well-liked member of the playing group.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of the club, I would like pass on my condolences to Phoenix\u2019s family and friends at this extremely sad time.\u201d<\/p>\n
A proud Nunggubuyu man, Spicer hailed from Numbulwar \u2013 a remote community in East Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.<\/p>\n
His totem was a barramundi fish.<\/p>\n
– with Alexandra Feiam, NewsWire<\/p>\n