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Colin Garland ensured the Northern derby wouldn't be an unbeaten affair next week, leading Clarence to a 8.13 (61) to 5.7 (37) win over North Launceston.
The 141-game former Melbourne AFL star kicked four goals and had at least four more chances as his midfielders provided him with prime service.
With the Bombers losing their first game for the season, coach Brad Cox-Goodyer was left to rue his side's cleanness.
'We just didn't play our brand of footy, we weren't clean in any sort, we probably played one decent quarter which was the third but other than that we were comprehensively outplayed," he said.
"We were dropping uncontested marks, couldn't pick the ball up off the ground, so the basics of football is what cost us early.
"Our intensity to defend and run hard both ways was pretty low and Clarence moved the ball really well.
"They got it forward and if it wasn't for Corey Nankervis, Colin Garland would've ended up with eight goals I reckon."
Clarence hit the scoreboard in the opening 30 seconds courtesy of skipper Jarrod Harper, who was strong all day.
Baxter Norton followed suit soon after before Cox-Goodyer streamed down the middle of UTAS Stadium to find Mitch Nicholas who passed off to Will Harper for North's first.
The visiting Kangaroos went into quarter-time seven points to the good and Garland's first extended the margin before North's problems were exacerbated by an ankle injury to Michael Stingel.
Leading the player of the round award before this round, Stingel was injured in a tackle and missed the rest of the game.
"In typical Michael fashion he wanted to come back on but you've got to slow him down sometimes so I told him to pull the pin and rest up because he's too important to us to lose to an injury this early in the year," Brad Cox-Goodyer said.
"We'll wait and see what the diagnosis is and he'll probably miss a week this week because we have the bye after Launceston, so that will give him a good break.
"We've got to be careful with him, we can't push him too hard because he's got a lot of footy ahead of him and a lot of VFL footy with North Melbourne as well so we've got to look after him and hold him back from himself sometimes."
The second quarter, besides a 100-metre penalty which saw Jack Aherne kick a goal, mainly belonged to Clarence, establishing a 19-point lead.
The youthful Bombers showed their trademark grit in the third term, with co-skipper Alex Lee marking and goaling on the run from outside 50 to start the term as North peppered Clarence with inside-50s.
Dom Hay's outstretched mark and run into goal seconds before the three-quarter-time siren looked like it might give the Bombers some momentum and inspire them to the win but it wasn't to be.
Garland was a dominant force in the last term, converting his fourth inside-50 mark of the quarter to a major before adding another to seal the game.
The Bombers were able to finish the game on a wholesome note, with debutant Cobey Evans kicking his first TSL goal and being swamped by teammates.
Eighteen of North Launceston's 22 were under 25 years of age for the clash, with Cox-Goodyer eager to get five-time premiership player Jack Avent back next week.
"It was pretty funny, Col Garland comes and goes 'I didn't actually realise how young you guys were', I don't think many people in the state understand how young we are," he said.
"They've just got to keep learning, there's going to be results like this so we've just got to understand that every week's not going to be a win on the scoreboard but as long as they're learning how to play at this level and doing good things, it will hold us in good stead."
Cox-Goodyer praised the work of second-gamer Nicholas, Declen Chugg, Tom Bennett and co-captain Ben Simpson, while Sam Green, Norton and Harry Fisher were strong for Clarence.