The Dogs - one of the Warrnambool and District league's youngest teams in 2021 - have added seasoned forward Josh Stapleton, key position option Blair Oakley and midfielder Charlie McDonald to their ranks.

Former South Warrnambool reserves coach Leigh Anderson has also crossed to become Thornton's deputy, while Rohan Doherty will also be an assistant.

Thornton said recruits and assistant coaches were high priorities for the club was delighted to complete early business.

"That was sort of the goal even halfway through last season, getting them in and trying to lock as many away as we could before Christmas," he said.

"We've got six or seven now which is good. Getting Blair Oakley and Knoxy (Inoke Ratu) as talls and Josh Lock, and midfielders like Charlie McDonald and Daniel Threlfall and stuff, it's perfect adding them in.

"We regard them as great players at the clubs they were at. Knoxy has been a ruckman at the Hampden league and at Nirranda and Threlfall is a premiership player at Nirranda. Josh Stapleton has played at Old Collegians for so long and then went to Caramut but to get him across, his experience will be perfect for us."

Thornton said the Dogs had lacked midfielder-forwards - players in Stapleton's mould - who could hit the scoreboard.

"We struggled for a bit of depth in the midfield, so to add Josh in, to add Charlie in, Daniel is the same... it's going to benefit the other boys who had the majority of the load."

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He said the injection of experience would ease pressures on the youth who were exposed to key roles this past season.

But Thornton said while youngsters like Reggie Barling and Ky McKenna were forced to step up beyond their years in 2021, they'd benefit long-term from the experience.

"I think at one point, we had 12 blokes out injured," Thornton said.

"We struggled for numbers but in that, Ky was able to get 10 games under his belt and now having Stapes and those other boys come in, it's going to benefit Ky and the junior players as well as more experienced guys like myself.

"We didn't really think it would be as many games as they got but credit to those guys, they put in the work and that's why they were rewarded. It wasn't just the injuries.

"Ky trained every night and Saturdays in the under 18s, he was doing everything that he could and deserved those games."

The playing coach was also relishing the chance to have Anderson and Doherty offering support from the bench.

"They get another view from other blokes and even myself, so it's going to help me a lot, learning off them," Thornton.

"I played under Leigh at South and he's probably one of the smartest football blokes I've played around. He was great.

"He's perfect for me and that's why I approached him to come across. I probably got caught out on the ground worrying about the coaching side of things. I had people telling me not to, but it's hard. I always got stuck doing it."

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