RICHMOND premiership forward Jacob Townsend has been delisted by Essendon among a host of list changes finalised on Thursday.  

Townsend, who played 12 matches this season, joins rookie ruckman Henry Crauford in being cut ahead of 2021. 

It comes as defender Martin Gleeson and midfielder Dylan Clarke were informed they will be delisted with the promise of being re-rookied by the Bombers next month. 

WHO'S LEAVING? Your club's retirements and delistings

Gleeson was set to fall out of contract, however Clarke has a year to run on his existing deal. Both will be free to be picked up as delisted free agents by rival clubs prior to the NAB AFL Rookie Draft. 

Townsend and Crauford join Mitch Hibberd, Kobe Mutch, Josh Begley, Noah Gown and Shaun McKernan (now at St Kilda) as cullings from the 2020 list.  

The former Tiger crossed to the Bombers as a pre-season rookie signing ahead of 2020 after being delisted following 20 games in four seasons at Punt Road.  

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Townsend goes for broke and lands the clever poke

Jacob Townsend pinches a terrific goal after a lunging effort off the deck

Published on Jul 26, 2020

Prior to that he played 28 games as an inaugural Greater Western Sydney signing from 2012-2015.  

Crauford was plucked from South Australia on the eve of the 2020 campaign for extra ruck depth but failed to play an AFL game. 

It leaves Andrew Phillips, who re-signed a one-year deal on Wednesday, as ruck support alongside Nick Bryan for emerging big man Sam Draper.  

Key forward James Stewart remains without a finalised deal but is on the verge of a two-year extension, while the Bombers are yet to announce any new contract for small forward Irving Mosquito.