Clarence and North Melbourne booted off home ground by Cricket Tasmania

A footy chief has been left fuming after an “outrageous, arrogant and standover message” was delivered, dumping the long-standing team from their home grounds at Blundstone Arena. READ MORE>>

Clarence footballersBrady Jones, Jack Preshaw, Coach Jeromey Webberley and Ethan Jackson at Blundstone Arena in March. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

CRICKET Tasmania has allegedly punted all football from Blundstone Arena, including North Melbourne and Clarence, which has played home games there for more than a century.

Clarence is now without a home ground this season, while there is no chance of seeing AFL games in Hobart following CT’s decision.

LATEST: READ CRICKET TASMANIA’S REASON BEHIND DUMPING FOOTY

Richard Mulligan president of Clarence Football Club

In a message to board members obtained by the Mercury, Clarence chief executive Richard Mulligan was left fuming by the decision when informed late on Thursday night.

“I have not long got off the computer from a video conference hook-up with [Communications and stakeholder engagement manager] Tim Lovibond and [Blundstone Arena manager] Stephen McMullen from Cricket Tasmania at which they delivered what I consider to be the most outrageous, arrogant and standover message the club has probably ever received,” Mulligan wrote.

‘GROUND IS NOT READY’ FOR AFL GAMES: BLUNDSTONE ARENA OPERATOR

Cricket Tasmania was contacted for comment on Thursday night.

Mulligan said the decision had been made by CT to preserve the centre wicket for pre-season

training as cricketers would not be able to head to the northern states during the winter as in previous preparations, and that the company that takes down the sightscreens was unable to get to Tasmania due to the quarantine conditions in place.

“So there you have it, at the stroke of a pen we have been booted from the venue that the club has played at for probably 100 years or so and left to our own devices — we can still train on the ground but with the centre area closed off permanently and with no goalposts,” he wrote.

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Mulligan said both AFL Tasmania and Clarence City Council had been informed of the decision, but no one had told the Roos, with the football club only finding out when playing-coach Jeromey Webberley asked the venue curator about training on the ground on Monday.

“This actions sets a very dangerous precedent and is an action they can take any year they choose to so we must go through our sublease with a fine-tooth comb as my initial reaction is they do not have the legal power to enforce this action and I will start reading tomorrow,” he wrote.

“I think this matter requires urgent consideration as right at the minute even if a truncated season can get away we have nowhere to either train or play.”