Triple premiership Lions captain Michael Voss, as well as senior Brisbane officials, have led tributes to club stalwart and football administration manager Nicole Duncan — the Lions’ longest-serving employee — who died on Saturday surrounded by loved ones.
The Lions on Sunday released a statement confirming Duncan, who worked at the club for 31 years, had passed away after a short battle with leukaemia.
Duncan, the daughter of former Fitzroy player Stewart Duncan, joined the then-Brisbane Bears in April 1993, which was just after the club’s relocation from Carrara to the Gabba.
Last year she celebrated her Bears/Lions 30th anniversary, meaning she was at the club for Brisbane’s premiership three-peat from 2001 to 2003, as well as the two AFLW flags in 2021 and 2023.
Voss, who’s now Carlton’s coach, said Duncan’s impact “on so many is undeniable”.
“The stories she could tell … Not many got past her and not many knew as much as her,” Voss said.
“No task was too big or too small and she would do everything with the same ruthless efficiency. She never wasted a word but you always knew she cared. Every detail was mastered and there are many who are grateful to her for doing so much for them.”
Lions coach Chris Fagan said Duncan was “the most competent and diligent colleague I’ve worked alongside in my time in the AFL”.
“Her work was her passion and she was an expert at her role. She wanted nothing but the best for our club and her daily aim was to serve the Lions with purpose and efficiency. Without doubt she achieved her goal consistently over a 30-year career,” Fagan said.
“My wife Ursula, daughters Jessica and Ellen and I loved her dearly. She made us all feel so welcome at the club and part of the family.
“To me she is a hero because every day she let her work and actions do the talking. She never complained and took so much pride in everything she did.
“People like her are the heart and soul of a football club. There is no doubt she has left an enduring legacy for all of us to follow.”
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Lions chef executive Greg Swann said no one in the history of the Lions “had a bigger influence on the players, coaches and the workings of the club” than Duncan.
“She was a true Lions legend even though she never played,” Swann said.
“She ran everything in the football department with a minimum of fuss and was never fazed by anything.”
Duncan is survived by husband Brian, as well as children Mitchell and Jade.
“Words can’t describe how much we’ll miss her,” a family statement read. “She lit up every room with her sunny smile and always knew how to make people laugh. She lived an extraordinary life filled with adventure, laughter and love.”
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