Eddie McGuire and David Koch in stoush over Port Adelaide’s ‘prison bars’ guernsey

Eddie McGuire and David Koch have traded barbs over Port Adelaide’s push to wear its ‘prison bars’ jumper in next week’s Showdown. Now Nathan Buckley has weighed in with a take that might not please his president.

Eddie McGuire has launched a fierce response at David Koch.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley doesn’t have a problem with Port Adelaide wearing its “prison bars” jumper next week.

The move sparked a war of words between Magpies president Eddie McGuire and his Port Adelaide counterpart David Koch, with McGuire suggesting the dispute could end up in court.

But Buckley said he had sympathy for Port Adelaide, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this season.

“It’s not a great year to be turning 150,” Buckley said on Thursday.

“Unfortunately the Port Adelaide side in the SANFL isn’t going to take the field, so I feel their pain in that regard.

“You couldn’t have anticipated trying to celebrate the history of a football club, a great football club, (with) your hands tied behind your back.

“The decision to wear the prison bar strip is a fair acknowledgment of the history of the football club. And I think that’s something that no one would have any specific issues with.

“I think it’s a fair celebration for Port to be able to do that in a Showdown.”

Magpies head coach Nathan Buckley.

Nathan Buckley playing for Port Adelaide Magpies in 1992.

Port Adelaide will wear the commemorative jumper in their Showdown clash against Adelaide in their Round 2 clash next Saturday night.

McGuire has fiercely defended Collingwood’s ownership of the black and white stripes and said Koch “doesn’t have the guts” to tell supporters it is an unrealistic venture.

Koch delivered a passionate response, labelling opposition to the idea as “mean spirited.”

“What we are asking for is not unreasonable and any fair-minded person would understand that,” Koch said in a press release.

“We are simply asking the AFL to approve Port Adelaide to wear our iconic guernsey in South Australia against our local rivals, the Adelaide Crows.

“We aren’t asking to wear it every week, or every home game, or against Collingwood. All we are asking is to wear it in Adelaide against our South Australian rivals.

“Let me be clear on this. We are not asking to be the Magpies in the AFL or to use that emblem or logo in any way. All we are asking is to wear a guernsey that has been adored by our people since 1902.

“There is an existing agreement in place from 2007 between Port Adelaide, Collingwood and the AFL that states clearly Port Adelaide has permission to wear the black-and-white Prison Bar guernsey in all home AFL Heritage Rounds thereafter. Ironically, Heritage Rounds ceased to exist from that point. We will argue that Showdowns now represent the heritage of South Australian football and we should therefore be granted permission to wear it on an ongoing basis.

“In a year like no other when we’ve seen the importance of family, community and heritage we believe any decision not to allow us to wear this guernsey in Showdowns would be nothing short of mean spirited.”

Eddie McGuire has accused David Koch of being disingenuous.

Get your footy fix on KAYO ahead of live matches returning soon. Watch classic battles from the 60s to today, docos, news and more. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

McGuire alluded to initiating legal action should the AFL side with Port Adelaide and permit it to wear the black and white strip regularly.

Asked on Footy Classified if the AFL had the authority to do this, McGuire was blunt in his response.

“Well, they can if they want to go to court,” he said.

“If the AFL Commission doesn’t do what it’s there for, ie protect its clubs and its trademarks, then they’re really going to get into (some trouble).”

According to the McGuire, Collingwood and Port Adelaide have contract and trademark agreements surrounding the strip.

Port Adelaide’s SANFL side is also known as the Magpies, with the prison bar guernsey sharing the same colours and similar vertical stripes as Collingwood’s.

The Power have received special exemption from Collingwood to wear the strip in the past, including their elimination final clash against Richmond in 2014.

“Any time they’ve ever asked (to wear the prison bars) for a special occasion, we’ve always said yes,” he said.

“If you sign a contract three times and shake hands, the shaking of hands is enough for me ... but then you have to roll up the contract and whack them over the head with it now.

“And if that happens, then we’ll get the bloke with the horse hair wig to decide.”

McGuire was shown pretending to be asleep after Koch’s initial push was played on the program, claiming the issue was “so boring.”

“I don’t want to buy into this because they are celebrating their 150th anniversary, they’re a mighty club, I wish them all the best,” McGuire said.

“What annoys me and where I think David Koch is being so disingenuous to his own supporters is he goes on South Australian radio, or TV, and he fizzes them up.”

Travis Boak in the prison bar guernsey during the 2014 elimination final.

“My point is this – there are major things when you have an identity or a trademark. (Collingwood’s) is the Magpie and black and white.

“David doesn’t have the guts to tell his supporters that it is finished.

“We have handshake agreements, we have contracts, we have trademark agreements, the AFL own the trademark.

“Magpie is the Collingwood Magpie, and that’s that.”

And he wouldn’t let it go later in the program, either.

After discussing the MCC deal with the AFL to financially assist MCG tenants, McGuire brought it back to the Power chairman with another backhander.

“In times of trouble, they’ve offered the hand of friendship and that’s what happens,” McGuire noted.

“If you want to get respect, you’ve got to offer respect – a few people should learn that.”

He followed this up by uttering “Kochie” under his breath, but loud enough for viewers to hear.

The pair had a difference of opinion last month, after Koch claimed Mick Malthouse would bring back the White Australia policy.

It came in response to Malthouse’s criticism of playing AFL matches in China.

MORE AFL NEWS:

How AFL, broadcasters plan to make fans part of the game when footy returns in empty stadiums

AFL clubs get green light for practice matches for unselected players, could play as curtain-raisers to senior matches

AFL boss tells players they can peruse financial books as pay talks loom

Hawthorn and North Melbourne could miss out on millions of dollars if they don’t play in Tasmania

Originally published as Eddie McGuire and David Koch in stoush over Port Adelaide’s ‘prison bars’ guernsey