The Swans this week announced that will Dreyer will co-coach Griffith this year as part of an extended coaching structure to provide more support to Griggs.

Dreyer will be non-playing co-coach, while Che Jenkins will have an expanded role after helping as bench coach in last year's campaign.

The announcement comes as Griffith landed three signings for the year ahead with Leigh Owen, Ryan Bullus and Ash Verhagen all returning to the club.

Griffith president Jeff Harris believes the new coaching structure will be a winner.

"Greg's come on as non-playing co-coach and we'll also stretch out Che's role a little bit as well to help spread the workload," Harris said.

"We've got a lot of younger kids coming through that will get a taste of senior footy so it's important that we've got that support network there."

Harris said Dreyer's knowledge of the younger players coming through makes him perfect for the role.

"Greg has a lot of coaching experience. He's been involved in senior coaching structures, he was reserve grade coach for a lot of years and for the better part of the last decade he's been involved coaching the under 15s in our junior program," he said.

"He's had a lot of involvement and knows a lot of the kids coming through that will be getting a taste of senior footy."

Griffith will head into the new season looking to bounce back from a second consecutive grand final defeat. That task has been made much more difficult with the departure of a number of key players.

Jordan Iudica, Lucas Conlan, Jacob Conlan, Guy Orton, Heath Northey and Jack Rowston have all moved on, as have a few of the club's fringe players.

Harris is looking forward to bringing through the club's next generation.

"We'll give our kids opportunity to play senior footy this year...so there are plenty of positives in the opportunities to come," he said.

The Swans are excited to welcome back Owen, a former junior, who has experience at VFL level with Coburg and Box Hill.

The 36-year-old midfielder has also spent time at Tatura, where he represented Goulburn Valley League, and Avondale Heights.

"He'll be a fantastic mentor to the younger blokes as their learn their craft," Harris said.

"He wants to come back to his junior club, which is a fairly handy drawcard to have and it continues that returning local flavour that we like."

Bullus returns after spending the 2014 season at Griffith and will arrive on the back of a strong season with Waratah, where he has been split between premier league and division one duties.

Verhagen is also no stranger to the Swans, having played there in 2017.

He moved back to the area last year but was unable to play due to work commitments. That has changed now and he will provide another key position option for Griffith.

READ MORE