RECENTLY retired Hawthorn premiership player David Hale has made an immediate move into coaching, joining Fremantle coach Ross Lyon's team of assistants for 2016.

The Dockers have made three new appointments, with Hale joined by fellow Hawthorn premiership player Brent Guerra and experienced coach Anthony Rock.

The new coaches hold six premierships between them, with Hale and Guerra in particular bringing valuable intellectual property from the Hawks' premiership three-peat under coach Alastair Clarkson.

Rock played in North Melbourne's 1996 premiership and has since spent more than a decade coaching at AFL, VFL and TAC Cup level.

The new appointments are to replace Simon Lloyd, who has joined Geelong as director of coaching, and Brett Kirk, who has returned to the Sydney Swans as an assistant coach.

"David, Brent and Anthony each have key football and coaching qualities, and will be valuable additions to our club," football manager Chris Bond said.

"They have decades of experience at the game’s most elite level and we look forward to them joining our coaching team and the valuable input they will have at the club."

Hale has played in the Hawks' past three premierships and moves straight into coaching after 237 games with the Hawks and North Melbourne.

Guerra played in the Hawks' 2008 and 2013 premierships and said he was looking forward to working alongside Lyon.

Rock played 222 games for the Kangaroos and Hawthorn and worked with Lyon at St Kilda in 2007 and 2008 as midfield coach.

He coached North Ballarat in the TAC Cup and also had stints at Melbourne (2005-06) and North Melbourne (2009) as an assistant coach either side of his time with the Saints.

Rock coached Greenvale in the Essendon District Football League to successive premierships in 2012 and 2013.

He then joined St Bernard's in the Victorian Amateur Football Association and capped a two-year stint with a premiership this season.