Elaine Lee

Elaine Joan Collins (née Kelly; 22 May 1957 – 14 November 2024), known during her playing career as Elaine Lee, was an association football player who represented New Zealand at international level.

Early life and family Lee was born Elaine Joan Kelly in Bromborough, Cheshire, England, on 22 May 1957. After her mother remarried in 1964, she used her stepfather's surname, Lee. The family migrated to New Zealand in 1971, settling in the Auckland suburb of Epsom. at the inaugural AFC Women's Asian Cup. The New Zealand team went on to win the tournament.

Following the Asian Cup, Lee transferred to Eastern Suburbs AFC, where she won several league and Knockout Shield titles.

Later life and death Lee retired from football in her early 20s, and married Tony Collins, with whom she had three children. In 2023, in the lead-up to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup held in New Zealand and Australia, New Zealand Football presented former national women's team members, including Lee, with their New Zealand caps.

Lee died from brain cancer in Auckland on 14 November 2024, at the age of 67.