Ben Brown’s Melbourne debut is literally on ice, with the former North Melbourne forward undergoing scans on his troublesome left knee.

Brown arrived at the Demons, along with pick 28, for picks 26, 33 in the 2020 AFL trade Period.

But the 28-year-old has failed to get through his first pre-season with Melbourne, complaining of persistent knee swelling.

New Demons general manager Alan Richardson confirmed the club needed specialist advice.

“Following scans on Monday afternoon, it has been decided that we will get the opinion of knee specialist Julian Feller to determine the best course of action,” Richardson said.

“The club will be in a position to provide further information following Ben’s consultation on Wednesday.”

Feller is a renowned specialist who has worked on AFL stars like Jimmy Bartel and former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke.

Brown played 130 games for the Kangaroos, kicking 287 goals during his seven-year stint.

He was the leading goal kicker in four of those seven seasons, but was restricted to just nine games in 2020.

The big man underwent knee surgery in September, cutting his season short.