Swift's Long Time Between Drinks

Dual Claremont premiership player Tom Swift celebrated his first winning game for the Tigers for almost three years when he performed strongly in the midfield in the hard-fought 15-point victory over Swan Districts at the Showgrounds last Saturday.

His previous success in league ranks for Claremont was in the 2012 grand final when the Tigers beat East Fremantle by 26 points at Subiaco Oval. Remarkably, Swift was one of only three men who took the field against Swans last week who were members of the 2012 premiership side, the others being Jake Murphy and Mitch Andrews.

Swift, who helped Claremont to defeat Subiaco by 56 points in the 2011 grand final, has worked assiduously this year to throw off the effects of a bad hamstring injury, and he has managed only three league appearances for the year.

His joy at the win over Swans was dampened by a report of rough play against Swans midfielder Adam Faulkner. Even though the incident appeared completely accidental, the WAFL tribunal found Swift guilty of high contact and he received a reprimand.

This was only the second time that the 25-year-old Swift had been reported. The previous report came in his league debut in March 2009 when he was charged with a striking offence at Leederville Oval. This arose when he attempted to spoil a mark. The tribunal correctly exonerated him.

Swift was a West Coast Eagles player from 2009 to the end of 2012 when, at the age of 22, he announced his retirement, mainly to concentrate on his studies. He appeared in 34 AFL matches with the Eagles. He received three Brownlow Medal votes as the best afield in the round-22 match against Richmond in 2009.

He came out of retirement briefly in 2013 when he helped Claremont to defeat Southport in a Foxtel Cup contest. That was his only appearance in a senior competition in 2013 and 2014.

Swift has played in 54 league matches for Claremont, as well as seven in the Foxtel Cup competition.