The sister of St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt has died after a five-year battle with aplastic anaemia.

Riewoldt, his parents, brother Alex and other family members were present at Madeleine Riewoldt’s bedside when she passed away on Tuesday morning at Royal Melbourne Hospital. She was 26.

“We are so proud of Madeleine for fighting as long and hard as she did,” the Riewoldt family said in a statement.

“This spirit is a testament to her strength, she inspired us and so many and will continue to do so.

“We are grateful for and cherish the 26 years we shared as a family and she will remain in our hearts always.”

Madeleine Riewoldt was well known to many people at St Kilda and often visited the rooms after matches.

She underwent two bone marrow transplants and had spent the last seven months in hospital.

The Riewoldt family suggested that anyone wanting to show their support could sign up to the Bone Marrow registry or donate blood to the Australian Red Cross.