Callum Brown signs with Mansfield for next year

A former AFL player and one of the VFL’s best in recent seasons is heading to country footy in 2025 to the club in one of his favourite holiday spots. Here’s how it happened.

Callum Brown playing for Collingwood during his career at the Pies. Picture: Michael Klein

While there is no place like home, for former Collingwood player Callum Brown a favourite holiday spot has led to him joining a country club next year.

The 26-year-old, who played 70 games for the Pies as a father-son recruit, has joined Mansfield in the Goulburn Valley league.

Despite his AFL career ending recently the inside midfielder has been one of the best players in the VFL for the past two seasons.

This year he played for Box Hill and represented the VFL against the SANFL and was best on ground in the clash.

Callum Brown is playing for Mansfield next year. Photo by Michael Klein.

“He’d been holidaying up here with his family for the last 20 years,” Mansfield football director Bo Christopher said.

“He’d been at the oval in the off-season, having a kick with his father and brother. He wasn’t on our radar, it came out of the blue, he contacted us.

“He said he loved Mansfield and wanted to come through and have a look at the club.

“The (signing) happened in a week.”

Christopher said the Eagles would have him for the full season.

“He’s done with VFL, he’s 100 per cent playing with us,” he revealed.

“He just wanted to really enjoy his football after being in the AFL system for six years.

“(The Mansfield move) is a natural fit for him.”

The move comes as Mansfield looks to take the next step to being a premiership contender.

In 2022, they finished second and were eliminated in the preliminary final before finishing sixth and being eliminated in week one of the finals in 2023.

Last season the team finished seventh and missed out on the finals by a game.

A host of injuries hurt the team dearly.

“We had 15 injuries to our first team,” Christopher revealed.

“We debuted 11 under-18 players last year we were so smacked with injuries.

“But it was good to give them experience, it puts them in good stead for down the track when they are ready to play senior football.”

The team has added Mitch Wareham as a co-coach to assist current coach, former Gold Coast player, Jack Hutchins, who is set to continue playing as well.

It will allow Hutchins to reduce his workload and focus on playing while also being the coach.

The focus now is to add recruits to bring the team up the ladder.

Christopher said the goal was to beat Echuca, who have won the past three premierships in seniors.

“We’re hoping to be in the mix to challenge Echuca,” he said.

“Hats off to Echuca they are the best club outside of the VFL and AFL in Victoria in my opinion.

“They do it so well and they are not going to change much so we want to be in the mix to beat them.

“We want to have a crack.”