The Clarence Roos team of 1993 was coached by former Sydney Swans rover Steve Wright. Their win in the TFL Statewide League began a run of 13 grand final appearances over 15 years from 1993 to 2007 and a total of nine premierships.
Clarence won a further Statewide League premiership under Wright in 1994. Following a grand final loss to North Launceston in 1995 the premierships continued under Grant Fagan, who had served a long apprenticeship under Wright. Statewide titles in 1996, 1997 and 2000 demonstrated Clarence’s clear domination during the first era of the Statewide League.
The return to regional football in 2001 did not quench Clarence’s desire for premiership glory and under Darren Winter and Nick Davey the Roos secured a further four premiership titles from six grand finals of the Southern Football League.
The Roos’ Golden Era: 1993 to 2007
> The Roos completed a dynamic year of football under first year coach and ex-AFL champion Steve Wright to annexe the TFL title in 1993. After finishing with a clear lead on top of the ladder with a record of 17 wins and two losses, Clarence met North Launceston for the third time in the second semi-final and came away with a third win, by a comfortable 24 points.
> The Robins had made their way to the final week in September by twice defeating North Hobart in the qualifying and preliminary finals. They had been well led all year by another former Sydney Swans player, David Rhys-Jones. A number of their players had experienced the Robins’ grand final losses of 1990 and 1991 so could be expected to have had the advantage of experience.
> The scene was set for a classic North versus South finale to end season 1993. The grand final of 1993 began with a frenetic crowd of 13,000 people in attendance. While the Clarence team were favourites no one under estimated the pre-season favourites North Launceston. Clarence was rested but as so often happens came out of the blocks slow and the Robins built a handy lead in the first half. However, true to the script the third ‘premiership’ quarter proved crucial in determining the result. Clarence kicked seven goals and two behinds to the Robins three goals and five behinds to take the ascendency on the scoreboard into the final stanza. Both teams gave their all in an enthralling final 30 minutes, but at the bell the Stevie Wright-led Roos prevailed by nine points for their first title since 1984.
> The win in the 1993 TFL decider began a sequence of six consecutive state grand final appearances for Clarence Football Club from 1993 to 1998. The Roos won a further TFL state premiership under Grant Fagan at Aurora Stadium in 2000. The era continued when all Tasmanian clubs returned to regional competitions in 2001. The Roos were able to secure premierships in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Clarence played in 13 grand finals between 1993 and 2007 for nine premierships and a lifetime of football memories for the Eastern Shore faithful.
TFL/SWL/SFL Grand Finals – 1993 to 2007
STATE GRAND FINALS
1993 Clarence 19.12 (126) North L’ton 17.15 (117) 13,102
1994 Clarence 13.13 (91) New Norfolk 8.5. (53) 14,230
1995 North L’ton 9.11 (65) Clarence 7.13 (55) 9,448
1996 Clarence 14.17 (101) Burnie 10.14 (74) 12,352
1997 Clarence 20.9 (129) Burnie 18.14 (122) 9,053
1998 North L’ton 14.16 (100) Clarence 6.15 (51) 9,638
1999 DID NOT PLAY
2000 Clarence 15.15 (105) North L’ton 8.8 (56) 6,100
REGIONAL GRAND FINALS
2001 Clarence 44 points Glenorchy
2002 Clarence 12.17 (89) North Hobart 10.8 (68)
2003 DID NOT PLAY
2004 Clarence 17.12 (114) New Norfolk 12.9 (81) 6,132
2005 New Norfolk Clarence
2006 Clarence 17.13 (115) Glenorchy 11.12 (78)
2007 Glenorchy 14.22 (106) Clarence 4.14 (38) 7,091
Clarence’s Finals Campaign, 1993
TFL Statewide League Grand Final Date: 18 September
Clarence: 2.3 9.4 16.6 19.12 (126)
North Launceston: 6.4 11.7 14.12 17.15 (117)
Venue: North Hobart Oval
Umpires: M. Gilmour, G. Phair
Attendance: 13,100
Gate: $78,743
Best:
Clarence: Winter, Wright, McCallum, Cullen, Hulm, Ricci, Adams, Wade, Holdsworth, Richards.
North Launceston: Davies, Olds, Todman, Aherne, Strickland, Thorne, Spearman.
Goals:
Clarence: Richards (5), Holdsworth (4), Cooney (2), Hulm, Ricci, Brownless, Williams, Adams, Cullen, McCallum, Wright.
North Launceston: Gibson (3), Rhys-Jones (3), Oldenhof (2), Olds (2), Todman, Thorne, Strickland, Roney.
State Final Teams
Clarence:
B: D. Bugg, S. Fry, A. Scott (snr)
HB: J. Cullen, D. Winter, D. Hulm
C: P. Holdsworth, P. Ricci, D. Hurd
HF: S. McCallum, S. Adams, S. Wright
F: G. Cooney, M. Richards, B. Brownless
Ruck: A. Dean, M. Jones, S. Wade
Inter: A. Scott (jnr), S. Williams,
M. Honey
Coach: S. Wright
North Launceston:
B: M. Todman, P. Dodds, C. Davies
HB: T. Spearman, D. Rhys-Jones, A. Sanders
C: G. Johnstone, G. Olds, A. Loone
HF: S. Kremerskothen, T. Oldenhof, M. Simpson
F :S. Procter, J. Gibson, C. Lynch
Ruck: A. Aherne, M. Strickland, R. Thorne
Inter: N. Roney, S. Hawkins,
D. Smith, P. Salter
Coach: D. Rhys-Jones
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