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Senior duo to boost Tigers in WAFL

Jake Murphy.

Claremont’s hopes of a first win for the season increased significantly yesterday when ruckman Mark Seaby and captain Jake Murphy were included for today’s game against West Perth at Claremont Showground.

Former West Coast and Sydney big man Seaby has battled to shrug off a pre-season ham-string injury while consistent ankle soreness has restricted Murphy to one league match in 2015.

Coach Michael Broadbridge said Seaby and Murphy were important additions for what was a “must-win” game for the club.

With tough fixtures ahead against AFL-aligned teams East Perth and Peel in coming weeks, the Tigers, beaten in their first five games, need a victory against the Falcons to stay in touch with the top five.

“Clearly we’ve missed Seabs in the first five games of the year, there’s no doubt about that, and he will be a welcome addition,” Broadbridge said yesterday.

“Murph has battled injury probably for the past 18 months and he hasn’t had any continuity in his footy for the past two years.

“To get him back is a boost and we are just hopeful that we can keep him back and he doesn’t just come in and out of the sidelike he has in the past.

“Unfortunately he is our club captain, he hasn’t been out on the park and it’s really hurt us as a football club.

“It’s no fault of his own, just the way things have panned out in the past 18 months.”

The Falcons stuck with the same 22 who staged a remark-able last-quarter fight-back to snatch victory against Swan Districts at HBF Arena last Monday.

Swans will be without injured trio Adam Faulkner, Jarrad Blight and Tom Smirk for today’s clash with form team Peel at Steel Blue Oval.

The Thunder are expected to regain Hayden Crozier after he was left out of the travelling party for Fremantle’s game against Melbourne at the MCG tomorrow.

Perth’s chances of causing an upset against league leaders Subiaco received a setback when Michael Sinclair, Brennan Stack and Daniel O’Sullivan were forced out with injury.

Jarryd Morton was among eight changes for the Demons after a standout game in the reserves last weekend.

The Lions, who had a bye last weekend, made no changes to the side which crushed South Fremantle by 89 points on April 18.

Meanwhile, Tom Swift’s WAFL comeback has been stymied by a serious hamstring injury that will prevent him playing until next month.

The enigmatic Swift, 24, who played 34 matches for West Coast before giving football away to study for a medical degreemedicine, returned to Claremont this season.

But after playing two reserves matches last month, Swift’s bid to make his first league appearance since the 2012 grand final was halted when he damaged a hamstring at training.

The midfielder played in Claremont’s two premierships in 2011 and 2012 but made a one-off return in a Foxtel Cup match in 2013 as he focused on his university studies.