The Mandurah-based WA Football League club has signed former Richmond and Fremantle player Clayton Collard and axed 19-year-old AFL rookies Daniel Murray and Johnny Bennell.

On top of that the club received Dockers Michael Barlow and Jesse Crichton in the WAFL's reverse-order allocation of interstate AFL draft picks.

Peel lost Simon Rosa, Luke Hammond, Zac Beeck, Kain Robins and Damien Lock at the end of last season but Thunder football manager Marty Atkins is confident the new recruits can fill those voids.

Originally from South Fremantle, Collard spent last season away from football after being axed from Richmond’s rookie list at the end of 2008 but was lured to Peel by Atkins, who is also a former Bulldogs player.

Collard, 21, was selected by Fremantle at pick number 31 in the 2006 AFL national draft but played just one senior game.

He was de-listed at the end of the year before being given a second chance at Richmond.

His 23-year-old brother Brad will also play for the Thunder this season.

Peel product Bennell returns to his WAFL home after being de-listed from Collingwood’s rookie list and at 200cm, Murray will fill the number one ruckman role after the departure of Beeck to East Perth.

Atkins said the trio were going to be a key for the team going forward.

“Young enthusiastic players will be the core of our group and hopefully these players will stick together for the next three to four years so we can build success,” he said.

“We’re looking at it as if the glass is half full with a positive outlook and building the club with players who want to be at Peel Thunder and then top it up over the next couple of years.”

As last year's wooden spooners Peel received two players in the WAFL's player-allocation.

One of those players, Barlow, was considered as one of the hottest property in the VFL last year.