Queensland Firebirds have lost three members of their 2011 trans-Tasman netball championship winning team, with Australian representatives Lauren Nourse and Amy Steel joining Elissa Macleod in leaving the franchise.

Former Australian midcourter and Firebirds skipper Nourse announced her retirement from elite level netball on Friday.

Diamonds' defender Steel has returned to Victoria, with the Melbourne Vixens announcing they had signed her on a two-year contract.

Steel, who played with the Melbourne Kestrels in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy from 2005 to 2007, follows Macleod, who signed with the Vixens last week.

Also on Friday, the Firebirds announced the signing for 2013 of AIS scholarship holder and midcourter and goal attack Nicola Gray, who they drafted in during this year as a replacement player.

South Australian-product Nourse, who won 25 Test caps, was a member of the Diamonds squad which won the 2007 world championship and also took silver at 2010 Commonwealth Games.

She played nine seasons for the Firebirds and was the team's captain when they went through the trans-Tasman competition undefeated in 2011, but missed the finals and the 2011 world championships due to a knee reconstruction.

"I came back in 2012 because I wanted to finish a full season of netball, not retire on the back of an injury in 2011," Nourse said.

"I am now ready to move on to the next stage of my life and hope to always be involved in the Firebirds in some capacity and coaching up-and-coming stars in the future."

Diamonds goalkeeper and Queensland poster-girl Laura Geitz is set to take over as Firebirds captain.

Steel has returned to the Vixens, who she played for in 2009, before spending the following three seasons at the Firebirds.

"The Vixens are a great team and I'm really looking forward to working with such amazing players, in particular the defence end," Steel said.

"I'm a Victorian at heart so its great to be coming back to the state where I started and I'm looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends."

The Firebirds are expected to announce the re-signing of some players next week.