WAFL 2024: Perth sign former Geelong premiership speedster Brandan Parfitt on two-year deal

Perth have landed arguably the signing coup this off-season with Geelong premiership star Brandan Parfitt signing a two-year deal at the club. The West Australian can reveal Parfitt, 26, signed with the Demons on Tuesday after weighing up offers from all over the country including Adelaide’s SANFL side. Parfitt joins the Demons after forming a close connection with new football boss Brad Dodd who coached Parfitt at North Adelaide before he was drafted to the Cats. A silky midfielder, Parfitt was delisted by the Cats this year after 130 games in eight seasons having been drafted with pick No.26 in the 2016 AFL draft. Parfitt is currently the only player in the WAFL to have played 100 games or more and won a premiership in the AFL. He links up with former Cats Blake Schlensog, Charlie Constable and Sam Simpson who all joined the Demons ahead of this season. Parfitt has inked a two-year deal at the Demons in the biggest signing by Dodd since he crossed from East Fremantle at the end of this season. He played in the Cats’ 2022 premiership win over Sydney, coming on as the sub and kicking a goal from eight disposals. Parfitt played only nine games this season — the last of which came in round 19 against the Western Bulldogs. It is a massive bonus for the Demons who today were penalised for a breach of their total player payments in 2023 after they were found to have not paid tax on a signing bonus for a player and also not payed fringe benefits tax on player flight payments. Parfitt joins the Demons who have also signed former Fremantle rookie Conrad Williams as well as young ruckman Jackson Broadbent from South Fremantle. They have also been linked to East Perth midfielder Michael Randall and Peel Thunder dynamo Tyrone Thorne but neither of those signings have been made official. It gives new coach Mark Stone a strong foundation after he took over from Peter German, who parted ways with the club with two games left in the season and a year to run on his contract. Stone is looking to bring Perth back to the finals for the first time since 2020, with the Demons having tasted September action only once since 1997 while they have not won a premiership since 1977. Perth have lost midfielder Charlie Thompson who has returned to Victoria, defender Jack Avery moved to East Fremantle while Trent Manzone and Kristian Cary have retired.