Retained stars, recruits have Demons aiming highSaturday, March 1, 2014 - 4:37 PM - by Chris Pike

PERTH is heading into the 2014 WAFL season confident of making a first finals appearance since 1997 with some handy signings highlighted by bringing the three Morton brothers together, and the Demons keeping AFL premiership players Paul Bevan and Chance Bateman on board.

Perth did occupy a spot in the top-four for much of the 2013 season having won its first three games of the season, five of its first seven and also making a run of winning four of five matches between Rounds 14 and 18.

However, a run of four successive losses between Rounds 20 and 23 meant that the Demons hopes of breaking their finals drought came to an end, but without question there were some giant strides forward in 2013 that they now hope can lead to a finals berth in 2014.

Perth's biggest problem over the past decade has been not necessarily signing quality players, but retaining them for successive seasons and that's why the fact that Bevan and Bateman are playing on in 2014 is such a win for the Demons.

Bevan, a Sydney Swans premiership player from 2005, proved himself the hardest one-on-one match-up in the competition during 2013 and the Perth skipper kicked 55 goals and now will be back again with the Demons in 2014.

Bateman, a Hawthorn premiership player from 2008, also showed some good signs of his quality in 2013 when healthy and will be back again in 2014 to try to help bring some success to the club he won a colts premiership with before beginning his AFL career with the Hawks.

Not only have Perth been able to retain some important and experienced players, but there are some impressive signings coming on board as well.

Highlighting the arrivals are Cale and Mitch Morton who join brother Jarryd at the Demons in 2014.

Mitch played 83 games in the AFL with West Coast, Richmond and Sydney highlighted by a cameo role in the Swans' 2012 premiership.

Cale is the youngest of the brothers and is coming off 76 games in the AFL with Melbourne and West Coast, and found himself playing in East Perth's grand final loss to West Perth last season.

Gerald Ugle also returns to Perth after spending time with the Greater Western Sydney Giants, wingman/half-forward Rowan Brookes has signed from East Perth, colts premiership player Sean Lynch is on board from South Fremantle and Tim Hunt has arrived after previously playing in the VFL.

Perth football operations manager Brendan Kays is impressed with how the squad is shaping up for the 2014 season.

"During the pre-season there has been a lot of hard work. The group has gelled really well together and the camaraderie within the group has grown since last year," Kays said.

"Cale Morton came in just after Christmas and had minor knee surgery but his fitness and his running ability has really stood out. His brother, Jarryd although he is not new this year is also leading all the running and fitness drills at this stage of the pre-season.

"Tim Hunt who has come across from Warrnambool and has played a few games for Collingwood in the VFL, and played for the Geelong Falcons in the TAC Cup so he is a player with exceptional fitness as well."

It's not all good news for Perth in terms of player retention, but the news of player departures is much less severe than it has been for most of the last decade.

Jackson Sketcher and Kyle Reimers have both headed interstate while hard-running defender Matt Tedesco and midfielders Alistair Smith and Julian Jacobs are among the players not returning in 2014 while the Demons also won't have the services of the AFL players that have helped in recent years.

"Matt Tedesco will not be playing this year. He has decided that he needs a year off and unfortunately the rigors of WAFL football have been quite demanding on him," Kays said.

"Ali Smith is a big loss for us. I'm a big fan of Ali's. He has just bought a second truck in relation to a boiler making business which unfortunately has ended his efforts in getting to training. He has gone home and will play for Northam Federals in the Avon Football Association.