Nowell has been appointed as the Cats' newest senior coach ahead of the 2022 Warrnambool and District league season, previously holding the interim role following the departure of Ben Harding.

After several players asked Nowell to take on the job, he said he spent time speaking it over with his work and family before accepting the job.

"It's something the club spoke to me about earlier in the year, but I had already committed to the under 18s," he said.

"When I sat down and spoke to the club again, I said I would do it, but as long as I could coach the under 18s as well as I had already made a commitment to the parents.

"Now I have a really good support network around me, I reckon I can do both and both quite well."

Robbie Hare will be a senior playing assistant for Nowell, with a second non-playing assistant to be announced in time.

Jos Medley and Cooper McLean will continue as under 18 assistant coaches, with Nowell to transition out from the under 18s at season's end.

"It's critically important to have good people around you at all levels, whether it's sport or a workplace," Nowell said. "And I'm lucky to have that at the football club."

Coaching Allansford's under 18s to an undefeated record in 2021, Nowell will welcome 11 of those 26 players onto the senior list this year. He said the senior playing profile would be "youth-based with several key experienced players" with the idea to build over the next three years.

"All those young guys come up and they've committed to the footy club, which is a huge effort by the club," he said.

"We've got a lot of depth in the seniors and in the under 18s as well, so it's quite an exciting time for the football club."

With the injection of 17 new senior players, the Cats will do a 180 degree turn on their previous playing style.

"That is why it's critically important we train on football grounds two nights a week," Nowell said.

"We have to change our game plan. The game's changed and it's fast moving with accurate kicking and good foot and hand skills.

"We'll put a fair bit of focus on moving the ball quickly and the guys need to turn up round one and be competitive. Win, lose or draw, you've got to be competitive."

After a non-season in 2020 and 2021 cut short before finals, Nowell said a lot of his time coaching in recent months had been on engaging with his players.

"I've seen the mental impact on those younger players, let along the older guys, when you want something so bad," he said. "The juniors were adamant (in 2021) to be the best side all year. But as good as we were, we still never won a premiership.

"That will drive a fair few football clubs, and will be a mechanism for teams to be successful in 2022."

Pre-season training for senior players will resume on Monday from 6pm, with under 18s to begin at the end of the month.

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