AFL 2021: Stay up to date with all the latest and breaking news from Port Adelaide
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has denied knowing a loophole that has seen Port Adelaide banned from wearing its prison bar guernsey in heritage games.
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AFL boss Gillon Mclachlan has weighed into the prison bar jumper debate, saying he was not aware the heritage round fixture was going to be axed when he signed an historic agreement in 2007.
Port Adelaide said it was “hoodwinked’’ when it signed the agreement after former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire revealed he knew the Heritage Round was going to be abandoned when he penned his signature.
The agreement, which specifically decreed Port could wear its iconic prisoner jumper once a year in heritage round only, was signed by McGuire, McLachlan and former Port chief executive John James.
The debate raged further on Thursday when Power chairman David Koch accused McGuire of insider trading.
Koch called into question the governance of the AFL.
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McLachlan, who spoke to Koch on Thursday, indicated it was laughable for anyone to suggest he knew the heritage round was on its way out.
“I don’t feel the need I have to answer this question, but of course I didn’t know,’’ McLachlan said.
“100 per cent I didn’t know.’’
The AFL released a statement on Thursday stating Port would be forbidden from wearing the prison bars guernsey in next week’s Showdown.
Koch alleged the AFL had threatened it would dock the club premiership points if it did not abide by the ruling.
Asked on radio on Thursday morning if the club had thought about taking to the field in the black-and-white jumper without permission, Koch replied: “it’ll cost me points”.
“I did ask that, I said ‘I’m happy to pay a fine and just bloody wear the thing’ and they said that ‘we’ll fine you and take points off you’,” Koch told FIVEaa.
“It would be four points for the game – we can’t afford that.”
Koch also took a swipe at McGuire and the AFL, suggesting his comments infuriated him, before likening Collingwood’s knowledge when it signed the agreement to insider trading.
“This was signed by a president of a club who had inside knowledge that the other parties were not aware of – it begs the question if the AFL was aware of it,” he said.
“That’s a reflection of this VFL, Melbourne mafia that pat the interstate clubs on the head, pay them a bit of attention but say ‘get away, this is our game’.
“They’ve got to understand there’s no ‘V’ in AFL anymore.
“Every club has got to be respected and treated the same.
“In my finance world, that would be called insider trading.
“It was completely against the spirit of the undertaking.
“I’m absolutely ropeable that we could be hoodwinked like this.”
Koch said former Port Adelaide chief executive John James, who co-signed the 2007 agreement, told him he did not know at the time heritage rounds were soon to be axed.
“What we’re saying is Showdowns are South Australia’s football heritage round,” he said.
“If you were happy to wear it in a round of heritage significance every year back in 2007, we’re just complying with the agreement.”
Port Adelaide expects a response from the league by the end of Thursday.
The Power has worn the prison-bar guernsey five times in the AFL, most recently in last year’s sole Showdown, in its 150th season, and since 1902 in the SANFL.
Eddie’s stunning legal threat
Earlier, McGuire took a stunning swing at Port Adelaide, suggesting the battle of the prison bars jumper may need to end up in the Federal Court.
In an explosive segment on Footy Classified Wednesday night, McGuire and former Port champ Kane Cornes traded blows as the ex-Pies boss suggested the Power had backstabbed the SANFL when they joined the AFL in 1997.
The argument over the jumper reached new heights when Cornes produced the 2007 document he believed proved that McGuire and Collingwood had given Port the all clear to wear the traditional jumper.
Cornes said the document showed Collingwood agreed to allow Port Adelaide to wear the black and white colours every year during the annual Heritage Round fixtures – a concept which has since been discontinued.
McGuire said he was a co-author of the document but remained adamant that the club has never given its permission for Port Adelaide to use a black and white jumper as a playing strip or as a merchandise item.
He said Port Adelaide had shown “disrespect” to his former team and had forfeited any link to the black-and-white stripes when they entered the AFL in an attempt to distance themselves from the Port Adelaide Magpies in the SANFL.
“I’m not asking for your opinion. I’m giving you mine. Port Adelaide, back when you were playing, were running away from the Magpies as quickly as possible,” McGuire said.
“Port Adelaide tried to break away – I won’t say ‘Rat’. I won’t say they were ‘Judas’ to the South Australian National Football League.
“When they came into the competition, they couldn’t get any supporters. They realised teal was going to be their colour.”
Cornes pressed McGuire on the issue, questioning why he was OK with the deal in 2007 but was strongly against it now.
“Answer my question first,” Cornes barked.
“Why you were comfortable with Port Adelaide wearing it once a year in 2007 and now you’re strongly against it?
“This is celebrating South Australian football and it’s important to the (Port Adelaide) fans.
“It is the equivalent of celebrating South Australian football. It is in South Australia. Not involving Collingwood. Collingwood fans don’t care.”
McGuire then made the stunning threat of legal action.
“I’m sick of it. I think it needs to go to court and be arbitrated on,” he said.
“Beyond the AFL. Get it stamped one way or the other. It is quite dangerous what they’re doing.
“I’ve said yes every time when Port Adelaide have asked to wear the jumper when there was a half-decent reason, but to play it twice (per year), you’ve got to be kidding,” he said.
“Fair dinkum. It is ridiculous.”
Koch says Port feels ‘disrespected’
Koch said the club feels disrespected the AFL is yet to respond to its Showdown prison-bar guernsey request, calling the delay “ridiculous”.
The Power expected an answer this week from the league about wanting to wear the SANFL jumper against the Crows on May 8, but was awaiting a decision on Wednesday night.
Port Adelaide hopes to don the black-and-white strip in all matches with its crosstown rival.
Koch said the club was bitterly disappointed the league was taking so long.
“Quite frankly it is ridiculous that we are still waiting for an answer,” Koch said.
“We first approached the AFL on this matter two years ago in the lead-up to our 150th anniversary season.
“To think we are 10 days away from the Showdown and still waiting for a response is totally disrespectful to our fans and our club.
“We are requesting to wear this guernsey in Showdowns only, to celebrate the heritage of our club and our contribution to South Australian football.
“We aren’t asking to wear it as a regular home or away guernsey or even outside of South Australia.
“The AFL own the intellectual property rights to all AFL clubs and therefore this is a decision the AFL can make independently in representing what is in the best interests of the game and all clubs.”
Port Adelaide has worn its prison-bar jumper five times in the AFL, including in last year’s only Showdown in the club’s 150th season, and since 1902 in the SANFL.
The Power has sets of the guernsey available to wear if the league allows.
McGuire has been the most vocal critic of the Power’s push and is adamant Port Adelaide has agreed to AFL deals barring the guernsey’s use.
Past and present Port Adelaide officials deny that claim.
“I again ask that if such agreements exist, the AFL present them,” Koch said.
“We’ve been through all of the license agreements, our original AFL license and tender documents, and we can find no such agreement.
“Port Adelaide is willing to meet to find a solution to this matter and has been for the last two years, but no-one is prepared to join us at the table.”
Koch said a 2007 agreement co-signed by the AFL and Collingwood reinforced the prison-bar guernsey could be worn in games of heritage significance, except against the Magpies.
“Both parties endorsed Port Adelaide wearing this heritage guernsey on a limited basis every year,” he said.
“We believe that our position (on Showdowns) is reasonable and in line with the agreement.”
Koch said the issue would not go away.
“It is too important to our people and our club,” he said.
When contacted by The Advertiser on Wednesday night, the AFL said: “if we have an update, we will advise accordingly”.
Pies president quizzed on prison-bar guernsey fight
Collingwood’s position on Port Adelaide’s push to wear its prison-bar guernsey has not changed “at the moment”, according to the Magpies’ new president.
McGuire has been the most vocal critic of the Power wanting to wear its black-and-white striped SANFL jumper in Showdowns, including next month, and now his successor Mark Korda has weighed in.
Just days after being installed as president, Korda told News Corp the club planned to gauge members’ feedback on the matter.
“We’ve said to the management, what do you think? And management have said we need to find out what our fans think,” Korda said.
“But at the moment our current position hasn’t changed.
“We will have a look at that in due course but it hasn’t been high on the agenda.”
The first Showdown of the year is in less than two weeks on May 8, but the Power remains unsure if it will be able to wear the guernsey because it is yet to receive AFL approval.
Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson said on Thursday the club expected a formal response next week.
The club has been steadfast that Collingwood has no say on the matter and it is simply up for the AFL to decide.
On Saturday, the league said there was no update.
Port Adelaide has sets of prison-bar guernseys available to wear if it gets permission and does not need them made, like before its 2014 elimination final victory against Richmond.
The Power has worn the prison-bar jumper five times in the AFL, including in last year’s only Showdown in the club’s 150th season.
Port Adelaide has played in it in the SANFL since 1902.
Last month McGuire said everyone was sick of the prison-bar issue.
He has been adamant the Power has agreed to AFL deals barring the guernsey’s use – a suggestion denied by past and present Port Adelaide officials.
“They’ve got a thousand jumpers they can wear, they’ve got a really good jumper this year, they might have a premiership jumper,” McGuire said on Footy Classified.
“Worry about that, worry about making money and stop annoying us every year.
“The AFL … they must protect the trademark.”
Koch responded by saying: “As we’ve said all along, it is a decision for the AFL and we’ll continue to go through the official channels”.
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