The Lions finished third on the Mininera and District Football League ladder in season 2021, with nine wins from 11 matches.

Great Western head coach Matt Delzotto was elated with the four new signings, headlined by ruckman Renn Lovitt.

Lovitt joins the Lions from Bell Post Hill in the GDFL where he won back to back best and fairest awards in 2015 and 2016.

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Along with his best and fairest awards, he made the GDFL Team of the Year in 2015,16 and 17 and played in representative sides in 2016 and 2017.

These achievements culminated in Lovitt being selected as the starting ruckman in the GDFL team of the decade.

"Renn is a six foot six ruckman and has a super impressive footballing resume," Delzotto said.

"We are extremely fortunate to have Renn (Lovitt) give us the opportunity to have him play with our football club in the 2022 season.

"Outside of football, Renn (Lovitt) is based in Geelong and is a plasterer about to start his own business."

Delzotto said after one meeting that he knew Lovitt would be a perfect fit.

"We were able to sit down and have a chat with him and he was really impressed by the club," he said.

"We were obviously really impressed by him and how he goes about it and carries himself.

"He really fits all of the criteria for the kind of guy that you want to bring into your footy club, that's for sure."

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Delzotto said he's excited at the prospect of Lovitt working with the club's current crop of key position players.

"He will pair up really nicely with our premiership ruckman Jeromy Cronin," he said.

"Those guys will do a bit in the ruck and a bit in the forward line together.

"He will lighten the load on Jeremy but also having someone of Renn's experience, height and build it is really going to be really helpful for us in the middle of the ground and up forward."

The club also secured the services of Maroona (GVFL) and Waratah (NTFL) midfielder Will Hetherington.

"In a different way this continues Great Western's incredible relationship with the Northern Territory as Will (Hetherington) originates from the top end," Delzotto said.

In 2018 Hetherington played a starring role for Inverloch in a premiership season, and in 2019 he played for Maroona in the Goulburn Valley league.

Hetherington then headed back to the NT for the 2020/21 season, where he played in the premier division for the Waratah Football Club.

"He is a 27 year old, six foot two quality midfielder with exceptional leg speed," Delzotto said.

"It is really exciting to get him onboard as he ticks all of the boxes for us as he is an outstanding guy as well."

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Delzotto was also pleased to announce two signings from the Horsham District League.

"Firstly, there is Ray Smith who is a really solid half back who can also spend some time through the midfield," Delzotto said.

Ray Smith played for Kaniva in 2021 and has spent time in Darwin playing for Waratah in the NTFL.

"Ray Smith is an incredible inclusion into the club and is one that will definitely have a positive impact on and off the field," Delzotto said.

The Lions have also signed Nathan Cocks from Japarit Rainbow in the HDFL, where he finished fourth in the club's best and fairest in 2021.

"Nathan (Cocks) is a quality inside midfielder, good leg speed and can play pretty much anywhere on the ground," Delzotto said.

"Nathan (Cocks) is the younger brother of premiership player Sam which is a great story.

"He gives his all every Saturday afternoon and has already impressed with his pre-season running efforts."

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