One-on-one with Kynan Brown

17/02/2026

As Sandringham enters a brand new VFL season and welcomes an influx of talent to its list ahead of its standalone venture, one player stands out.

Having just turned 21 years old, Kynan Brown is arguably one of the more experienced players at the Zebs this year, with the former Melbourne Demon the only ex-AFL player to call Wilson Storage Trevor Barker Beach Oval home in 2026.

Despite having to deal with the disappointment of his AFL tenure coming to an end last year, Brown has thrown himself into life at Sandy, which has been aided by the recruitment of a couple of close mates.

“Yeah, it’s been good, the boys have taken me in,” he said.

“We've got a young group this year, so I’ve connected with them all pretty well.

“Obviously, (we’ve) had some boys that have signed as well, like Noah (Yze), one of my best mates, so it's good to have him down, and Nathan Philactides as well from Box Hill; we’ve got a good group.”

Part of an 18-strong group of new signees so far, Brown will bring plenty of professionalism, having followed in the footsteps of his father, Nathan - now an assistant coach at the Zebs - in being drafted and playing for Melbourne in the AFL.

Brown made an immediate impact in his AFL debut in 2024, with his first involvement a match-saving tackle in the dying stages of the round 14 contest against North Melbourne, helping the Demons secure a three-point win.

However, he would add just one extra game at the level to his resume before the end of last season, and while he admits it was a disappointment, he gleaned plenty of knowledge from some of the league’s best that he is now ready to impart on his Zebra teammates.

“It was good,” Brown said of his time at Melbourne.

“You learn a lot over those two years, especially coming in as an 18-year-old.

“You've got so many good players around you, a couple of blokes I learnt off were Jack Viney and Christian Petracca, some of the league's best, so, yeah, they were great for me.

“Over that two-year span, you take a lot of new information in and I think my footy has grown over those last two years.

“Obviously, I was disappointed to leave, but at the same time, (I’m) excited for a new chapter.”

That new chapter includes adjusting to the unique demands of a VFL environment, too, with Brown having to find full-time employment away from football.

Instead of spending full days at the club, the midfielder now has an eight-hour day on the tools before training, following his passion for carpentry by starting his apprenticeship.

“I’m a chippy now, I just started my apprenticeship a couple of weeks ago, that's going (well),” he said.

“I always did that in school, outside of footy - it’s always been something I was passionate about so it's good to start that and get the ball rolling.

“It's different, but it's good. I think it’s good to learn the balance of work life. So, yeah, I’m balancing that, (still) getting used to it, but yeah, it's good.”

Having averaged 17.9 disposals and 4.9 tackles during his 20 games with Casey in the VFL last season, showcasing his class in outings such as his 25 disposal, 10 tackle and seven clearance effort against Footscray, Brown will no doubt add some grunt to the Zebras’ midfield group this season.

He will do so under the watchful eye of his father, Nathan, who he is excited to link up with in a footballing capacity once again, and add to the family history in the black, yellow and blue.

“It’s awesome (having his father at the club), I played under him at Old Geelong and he was great,” Brown said.

“He's a great coach and (it’s awesome) to have him here with Wardy (Daniel Ward) too, someone I'm really close to as well.

“It's great to have those two coaching me, obviously Wardy played at Sandy, and then dad played a couple of games here too.

“So, yeah, they know a bit about this ground and I'm excited to start the year with them.”

As round one nears, Brown is eyeing more midfield minutes in 2026, and while he still harbours hope of one day returning to the AFL, there is no doubting his commitment to the Zebras this season.

“Over the off season I've tried to get to work, gain a bit of muscle, get ready to play that more midfield role now at Sandy,” he said.

“Hopefully (returning to an AFL list is) the goal, but I also just want to try and get some wins on the board with this young team.

“We've got a good group, so obviously, fresh start, we’re standalone now, so hopefully we can do that.”

Written by Alexander Dabb - Sandringham FC Media