Port Adelaide ruckman Patrick Ryder to stay in No. 4 but will Power stay with Gold Coast in AFL play in China

PORT Adelaide is not superstitious in China but is the Power seeing red on Gold Coast jumper to the point of courting a new international partner?

JUMPER FIGHT ... Gold Coast has won the battle to wear its red jumper in Shanghai next week when the AFL has its first premiership match in China, but Port Adelaide may not invite the Suns for a return visit. Picture: Jason O'Brien (Getty Images)

PORT Adelaide will not take ruckman Patrick Ryder out of his No. 4 jumper regardless of the Chinese considering the number as unlucky as 13 is in western cultures.

But the Power may push Gold Coast out of its “China Strategy” after the AFL sided with the Suns in the long-running battle to get the Suns out of their red-and-yellow guernsey — that resembles the Chinese flag — for the historic game in Shanghai on Sunday week.

Port Adelaide has told The Advertiser it is taking no notice of a Channel Seven report at the weekend highlighting the ominous Chinese meaning on the number four.

This has supposedly prompted Power sponsor, Four’N Twenty, to not export any of its products to Shanghai for the match that is not only to promote Australian football but also Australian culture.

Ryder will stay in his No. 4 jumper as will forward Jarman Impey in No. 24, defender Tom Jonas in No. 42 — and the versatile Nathan Krakouer in No. 48 if he gets a recall after his five-goal effort with the Magpies in the SANFL at the weekend.

Gold Coast says it has not decided to reassign guernsey numbers to any Suns players who have a four on their back.

And the Suns certainly will not wear white as the Power wants in Shanghai when the AFL plays its first game for premiership points outside Australia and New Zealand.

This will test Port Adelaide president David Koch on his threat to dump Gold Coast to seek a new partner for future games in China. The most likely candidate is Greater Western Sydney. The Giants would be offered at least $500,000 to sell one of their home games from Sydney or Canberra to move to China.

Port Adelaide cannot transfer any of its 11 home games from Adelaide Oval because of the State Government agreement at the venue.

Power chief executive Keith Thomas has emphasised there is a one-year agreement with the Suns to play in China. This is because the AFL has sanctioned just one game — and then a review, regardless of Port Adelaide wanting to play again and again in Shanghai.

This opens the door for Koch to seek the Giants as his new China Strategy partner.

Thomas has accused the Suns of ignoring the “spirit” of the China agreement with Port Adelaide by keeping their red jumper. This limits the Power’s commercial return in a game that is costing $4 million.

“We thought within the spirit of the commercial arrangement we had a strong case for the Gold Coast to wear their white clash guernsey,” Thomas said. “But we accept the AFL’s decision and move on.

“The guernsey issue is a just a small component of a far bigger picture for Port Adelaide. This historic game is sold out, Jiangwan Stadium is going to be packed with our supporters wearing black, white and teal and we are at the forefront of the AFL in taking our game to China.

“This is going to be a truly great day in the history of the Port Adelaide Football Club and this decision on the Gold Coast guernsey will not change that.”

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