Port Adelaide chairman David Koch says club will continue its prison bar push

Eddie McGuire and David Koch are in another arm-wrestle over Port Adelaide’s prison-bars guernsey, with Koch responding to the ex-Pies president.

Port Adelaide skipper Tom Jonas in the prison bars jumper last year. Picture: Getty Images

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch says the club’s push to wear its iconic prison bars jumper in Showdowns won’t go away “because Eddie McGuire wants it to go away”.

One of the fiercest opponents to the Power’s push, even after stepping down from his role as Collingwood president McGuire fired another shot at Port saying the club should worry about making money, rather than annoying Collingwood every year.

McGuire said on Footy Classified on Wednesday night that Collingwood received $6m less in annual funding than the Power and was a net-giver to the league, instead of a net-receiver, like Port Adelaide.

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David Koch says his club will continue its push to wear the Prison Bars Picture: Jonathan Ng

He said until that changed for the Power, the answer would be ‘no’ from Collingwood.

Koch said the club would continue with its push, regardless of what McGuire says.

“As we’ve said all along, it is a decision for the AFL and we’ll continue to go through the official channels to have that conversation,” he said.

“The AFL’s purpose is to ‘progress the game so everyone can share in its heritage’ – everyone.

“Heritage makes our game stronger, connecting our fans and stakeholders uniquely to their clubs – all clubs.

“Anything we can do to strengthen this bond can only build stronger clubs and a healthier game.

“We are simply asking to celebrate our heritage by wearing this Guernsey in two Showdowns a year at Adelaide Oval.”

Former Port Adelaide player Jack Watts said his old club wearing the jumper wouldn’t hurt any other club.

“It’s pretty amazing (the jumper),” he said on KFC TV.

“I can’t see why not against Adelaide in the Showdown, it’s not doing any harm to anyone else.

“It is pretty special to watch when they do get to wear it.”

McGuire made his views on the push abundantly clear on Wednesday night.

Port Adelaide players in the prison bars jumper. Picture: Getty Images

“Collingwood receives $6m a year less than Port Adelaide, so Collingwood is a net-giver every year and has been to the competition right the way through,” said McGuire, who resigned as Magpies president last month.

“If they want to celebrate something big, when they start becoming, instead of a net-receiver, a net-giver, then we’ll have a bit of a look at it.

“The Collingwood Football Club jumper is one of the most sought-after, expensive jumpers. “We’ve just done a massive deal with Nike, with CGU and Emirates on there.

“That jumper of Collingwood’s keeps them going because we make a lot of money off the back of that.”

McGuire was also outspoken on the issue last year, even threatening legal action if the AFL allowed the Power to wear the jumper more often.

He has been adamant use of the guernsey – worn by the Port Adelaide in the SANFL since 1902 – is barred by AFL deals the Power has agreed to.

“It is a trademark issue,” McGuire said on Wednesday night.

“The AFL, when they took over all our trademarks, they must protect the trademark.”

The Power has worn its prison-bar guernsey five times in AFL games, including in last year’s sole Showdown, in the club’s 150th season.

That match was played in front of just 2240 fans due to COVID restrictions.

A petition with more than 38,000 signatures forms a key part of the Power’s submission to the AFL.

“So take me through this, they thought about it last year, knew they were going to play in front of an empty stadium, wore it anyway and then this year they’ll have it for the 151st (anniversary),” McGuire said.

“What about next year? What is it Mark Williams’s birthday or something?

“Everyone is sick of it.”

McGuire said Collingwood had always allowed Port Adelaide to wear the black-and-white guernsey but now was enough.

“They’ve got a thousand jumpers they can wear, they’ve got a really good jumper this year, they might have a premiership jumper,” he said.

“Worry about that, worry about making money and stop annoying us every year.

“Simple as that.

Eddie McGuire is not interested in Port Adelaide’s requests. Picture: Michael Klein

“Back off, no.”

Last month Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson said the guernsey was extremely important to the club’s fans.

“We’ve worn this jumper five times in 23 years so it’s not like we’ve been banging the door and beating the drum every single year,” Richardson said on SEN SA.

“We think the significance of the jumper is elevated for our people and the perfect spot for it is the Showdown because what that does is it talks to the history and heritage of South Australian footy perfectly.”

Collingwood declined to comment.