The Cats have secured the services of Redan premiership player, and best and fairest Mitch Phelps.

He joins coach Jarrett Giampaolo and Liam Hoy as first-year players with Newlyn with Redan backgrounds, and Chris Giampaolo, another former Lion in his second season with the club.

Phelps makes the move from Barwon Heads in the Bellarine league, where he has been since 2018.

The dangerous small forward played his juniors with Mt Clear and quickly made an impact on joining Redan in the BFNL in 2011 as an under-18.5 player - making 13 senior appearances and kicking 33 goals in that season.

He was also a teammate of Jarrett Giampaolo in a Redan premiership team in that year. He continued to make a big impression, winning the Lions best and fairest in 2013.

Newlyn recruit Mitch Phelps in his last year with Redan in the Ballarat Football Netball League in 2017. Picture by Lachlan Bence

Phelps has been a consistent goalkicker throughout his career, only once not topping 20 in a season.

He had a season-high with Redan with 46 in 2013 and at Barwon Heads booted 79 in 2018, when he won the league goalkicking award, and 50 in 2019.

He is also a two-time premiership player with Barwon Heads.

Phelps has played in the Vic Country Community Champions with both the Ballarat and Bellarine leagues.

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Newlyn football director Simon Dwyer, in announcing the signing, said Phelps would play a major role in the Cats' forward line.

He said they could not wait to see him doing what he did best - kicking goals.

Newlyn had only two players kick more than 20 goals last season while finishing eighth. Marcus Darmody led with 46 and Callum Currie kicked 25.

More firepower will be essential if the Cats are to make another move up the ladder, with them only once reaching 100 points in 2023.

Phelp tops off a productive recruiting campaign, with other newcomers former Western Bulldogs listed Kieran Collins from Tatyoon, young tall Mitch McGrath from Ballarat Swans, Waubra premiership player Tom Nash.