Clarence to play 2020 season at Richmond after being kicked off Blundstone Arena

After 73 years at their traditional home, the Roos have escaped to the country. Find out where they will play their State League games >>

Clarence footballers (L-R) Captain Brady Jones, Jack Preshaw, Coach Jeromey Webberley and Ethan Jackson at Blundstone Arena. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

CLARENCE had its final run at Blundstone Arena last night before the Roos escape to the country to train and play their TSL games at Richmond from next week.

For the first time since it was founded as a Tasmanian Football League club in 1947, Clarence has been punted from its traditional home, now the centre for Tasmanian cricket and AFL football in Hobart.

The move was caused by the coronavirus and the state’s borders being closed, which meant the interstate firm that dismantles the electronic cricket scoreboards and their heavy rail mountings was unable to remove them so goalposts could be reinstated.

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Clarence V Lauderdale. Mitch Anderton of Lauderdale is chased down by Clarence best on field Jake Cox. Picture: SOLSTICE DIGITAL

Clarence had its final meeting with the Clarence City Council and Richmond Football Club yesterday to agree to terms, followed by its final training session for senior and development league players at Blundstone.

“Between the club, the council and Richmond Football Club, it has been a really positive process,” Roos coach Jeromey Webberley said.

Clarence has one more hurdle to jump.

“Richmond and the council want to leave the ground as it is,” Webberley said.

“The boundary line is currently 4m off the fence. The Australian standard is 3m. For the SFL it’s 4m and for the TSL it’s 5m,” Webberley said. “The council has ticked off. We just need AFL Tasmania to tick off on a 4m boundary and the covering of the synthetic pitch in the middle of the ground.”

Apart from being smaller than Blundstone, the Roos like Richmond.

“We weren’t keen on playing our home games at another TSL venue and not be able to train there,” Webberley said.

“To stay on the Eastern Shore and within our zone, and to have something where we can train and play is a plus for us.”