St Kilda Football Club has appointed Matthew Brewer as interim senior coach of its AFLW team for the final three games of the 2026 season, after Nick Dal Santo stepped down from the role.
Brewer, who was the club's AFLW head of development and midfield assistant coach, takes over with immediate effect, the club confirmed.
The appointment comes as St Kilda has also begun an independent review of its AFLW program, led by football executive Brad Lloyd through Apogee Sports. The club announced the review on Friday, October 9, and it got underway on Monday.
St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena said Brewer had made a strong impression since joining the club ahead of this season.
"Since arriving at the club, Matt has quickly become a highly valued member of our AFLW program," Dilena said.
"We're confident his coaching experience and strong relationships with our players and staff make him best placed to provide a steady hand for the remainder of the season," he said.
Brewer joined St Kilda from Melbourne Football Club ahead of the 2026 season. He spent four years at Melbourne across a range of coaching roles, including VFLW senior coach, backline coach and midfield coach, a period that included the Demons' premiership-winning season.
He also has pathway coaching experience from his time with the Oakleigh Chargers.
Brewer said he was grateful for the chance to lead the group, even though the circumstances were not ones he had expected.
"While the circumstances are not what anyone would have anticipated, I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead this group over the next three games," he said.
He said the squad remained committed despite a difficult season.
"Despite the challenges we've faced this season, there's still a lot of belief within the group and a real commitment from our players, coaches and staff to keep improving," Brewer said.
"The next few weeks are really important. Our focus is on getting better, competing strongly and finishing the season as well as we can," he said.
St Kilda has not detailed the scope or expected timeline of the independent review beyond confirming it is underway. The club's AFLW side has three games remaining in the 2026 season under Brewer's charge.