Port Adelaide chairman David Koch was interviewed before the Showdown and the age-old question of the prison bars guernsey was raised yet again.
This is a debate that will rumble on for years to come and I see no end in sight.
The argument over the colours and jumper design stems from when a second South Australian franchise entered the AFL.
The controversy over Port Adelaide entering the national competition is a separate issue, history shows that the Adelaide Football Club was formed in 1990 and Port Adelaide entered the competition in 1997.
When Port was awarded the second AFL licence the existence of Collingwood meant that responsibility fell on the newer organisation to change to prevent a clash.
As a result Port Adelaide added the colours teal and silver to the historic black and white, changed their nickname to the Power and composed a new song.
As I have mentioned before this drove a wedge between the supporters of Port Adelaide.
There are two main theories behind what actually happened in that period, therefore creating two distinct histories for the Power.
A version that is often championed by non-Port Adelaide folk is that the AFL team was formed in 1996, it has no history, and it is a completely separate entity to the SANFL version of Port ‘Magpies’.
I understand that some of the powerbrokers (pun intended) at Alberton deliberately distanced themselves from the Magpies as in order to gain support from South Australians who historically hated the SANFL version of Port Adelaide.
However as soon as you call a club Port Adelaide you are going to draw that parallel automatically.
If you really wanted to prevent the Port Adelaide brand being associated with the ‘new’ club then it had to be completely removed from the Alberton club.
The other major theory, which I subscribe to, is that PAFC transitioned from the SANFL to the AFL, taking with them the history and honours from their 137 years.
This obviously would mean that there would be a gap in the SANFL and let’s be honest, a local competition without the Magpies is like an Australian burger without egg. With that the SANFL club was born.
Over the past couple of years this argument has been somewhat settled and the club is at a point where Port Adelaide is two teams.
Sharing the history of a proud organisation under one banner.
This leaves the question of the stripping of the AFL version of their iconic colours, logo, nickname and song.
When I started looking into the history of Port Adelaide and their entrance into the AFL the whole process baffled me.
I grew up in England and most of my opinion on this comes from watching sport there, predominately soccer (this is an AFL piece, I’m not getting into the whole soccer versus football argument).
First off the rank is the guernsey. I’m a Liverpool fan and looking at the EPL table there are six other teams that wear red or a variant of it.
That means that seven teams clash with kit designs. The idea that a club can monopolise a colour scheme is frankly ludicrous to me.
Liverpool was founded in 1892 and their home kit consists of a red shirt, Manchester United, who also wear a red shirt, were founded as Newton Heath FC in 1878.
Using the Collingwood model United has every right to demand that Liverpool don’t wear red when they play at Anfield (Liverpool’s home ground).
Collingwood and particularly the marketing side of the club have missed a trick here. If you buy a Collingwood jumper you can be confident that it isn’t going out of fashion any time soon.
EPL clubs will famously change their kit every couple of years. The home kits retain the club colours, but the away kit is carte blanche for the designers. It has led to some stinkers but people buy them.
The bigger soccer clubs will usually have three and sometimes four variations on a kit. Fans purchase each and every version, which puts more money into the coffers of the club.
Collingwood could realistically release a new clash guernsey every two years and sell a lot of them.
The decision to steadfastly refuse to change, and even force North Melbourne to relinquish their right to wear their home jumper is one that, while traditionally proud, loses the club an income.
Also I’m pretty sure the majority of AFL fans would love to see Port supporters behind prison bars.
The guernsey question is, to my mind, the only issue that causes problems. The other icons of Alberton shouldn’t raise an eyebrow. Nicknames for sports clubs should be organic.
As far as I’m concerned I’m a Port Adelaide Football Club fan. The club has been called numerous things over the past years the Cockledivers, the Seaside Men, the Seasiders and the Magentas.
They settled on the Magpies in 1902, and changed to the Power in 1996. What the link between Port Adelaide and power is I’m not sure.
I would like to see any new clubs that enter the AFL just have their club name and let the nickname come naturally. However there is a trend that clubs have to come in a pre-packaged pret-a-manger corporate bundle.
The difference between the Port Adelaide Magpies logo and the Collingwood logo is sufficient for there to be no confusion and if the Notre Dame Victory March starts playing at the end of a Port versus Sydney game a quick glance at the scoreboard should clear up any confusion.
There seems to be too much interference from the AFL on matters that really should grow from the fans. Club colours, songs and logos should change and evolve.
Sporting clubs are not a corporate identity. They are a community. A community that should have the right to be represented as they see fit.
Helenbeee
Guest
What a load of twaddle!!! Do you think your passion is unique to Collingwood???? What you are inflicting on us and our club is the same fear that you are voicing here. You are doing to us what you dont want done to yourselves and your only justification is that you are Collingwood. Listen mate our club has just a rich a history, a whole suburb that lives and breathes through its football club the same as you, and rightfully want what is ours. What you are doing amounts to genocide its that plain and simple. WE get you love your club and that you would kill your Grandmother to preserve it but news flash so would we. Youve deprived us of our colours and our emblem but you unfortunately for you you cant take away our passion, history and pride in our club which might I add equals or probably exceeds yours.
Helenbeee
Guest
but had absolutely no problem poaching our gun players to beef up your history nor rejected our clubs support for your club prior to our entry into the AFL?????? Collingwood is like some bloated spoilt baby everyone pandering to its needs. Its honestly quite sickening to listen to such sycophant drivel.
Helenbeee
Guest
We did not lose our identity......we just said what you all wanted to hear us say. We are Port Adelaide....always have been always will be.....and some other club doesnt get to tell us who we are and what our identity is. We are 137 years old and you dont survive all those years without innovation and progressive action. We are completely at ease with adding in silver and teal to our black and white but to us they are just background colours to OUR black and white. We have had black and white since 1902 I think that over a hundred years of Black and White we can safely claim that it forms part of our identity. Im sorry but Collingwood cannot own black and white if it had been an actual colour they could have trademarked the shade but black and white aint colours. Now to the magpie emblem why a Victorian club would want South Australias state emblem as their own has me beat....Ill never understand it.
john
Guest
I hope Port uses the same colours for all its teams and personally I like the teal.
Jason from Sydney
Guest
Nottingham County Magpies and Newcastle United Magpies in UK Football. There is no problem.
Jason from Sydney
Guest
Collingwood don't own Black and white, they seem to think they are above everyone else. Port's Prison Bars are different to Collingwood's traditional design.
Jason
Guest
The Power motif comes from a line in PAFC's creed which was written by Fos Williams in the 1950's: 'We the Players, Management and supporters of the Port Adelaide Football Club, accept the heritage which players, administrators and supporters have passed down to us; in so doing we do not intend to rest in idleness but shall strive with all our POWER to further this clubs unexcelled achievements.'
checkside
Guest
Flip a coin when Collingwood and Port Adelaide play - whoever wins the toss can wear pink and call themselves the Galahs! It would be quite fitting I think.
Jason from Sydney
Guest
In English Football Newcastle United are the Magpies, then in League Two [Level 3] Nottingham County [Notts County] are also the Magpies. and both Clubs wear Black and white. Even if in the future Notts County made their way up to the Premier league level they would still wear their Black and White uniform for home games.
Jason from Sydney
Guest
Yes and Port would have worn the Black Guernseys with white Prison Bars. And Collingwood would have worn their traditional White Guernsey with Black stripes. There wasn't any problem then. Of course I wasn't around in 1910 as I was born in 1975. On AFL Live 2012 PC game I play Port using the Prison Bar uniform and Collingwood with the white Uniform and they DON'T clash. I can't see why there can't be more than one team in the AFL wearing Black and white, as there are more than one team in the AFL comp wearing Blue and White. [North Melbourne, Geelong, Carlton] then Western Bulldogs/Footscray who wear Blue, Red and white.
Jason from Sydney
Guest
Brian I totally agree with you.
Jason from Sydney
Guest
Then we should start counting the VFA Flags then which the current AFL Clubs don't.
Jason from Sydney
Guest
yes let us wear the black prison bars and when we are away to Collingwood we could wear a white jumper with black prison bars, white shorts, white socks while Collingwood's home uniform are the Black Guernseys with white strips, black shorts and black socks. When Collinwood play Port in Adelaide Port could wear Black Guernseys white prison bars, Black shorts and black socks while Collingwood could wear White Guernseys with Black Strips, white shorts and black socks. There wouldn't be any clashes.
Biggles
Guest
Recently have pondered that maybe it was a mistake we even let Port Adelaide join the big time. Possibly we should have placed a side in Tasmania, Canberra or even Ballarat. But we have them now, and in AFL we don't chop and change like in some other codes such as soccer or the NRL. We need to make Port Adelaide work. If that means bringing back prison bars, and taking a look at their nickname also then so be it. There is a will and there is a way. Collingwood is just going to have to lump it as far as I am concerned. The pies altered their own strip in anycase, it is black on the back where the number is, that is new and a rip off of the old Port Maggies strip. Carlton has to put up with Geelong's alternative strip which is a blatant rip off, not to forget Fremantle getting damn bloody close also.
Jason from Sydney
Guest
The white Jumpers with three black stripes [Collingwood] doesn't clash with Port's Prison bars Guernseys. I know that for a fact as I use the Prison Bars Guernseys for all Port games in the AFL Live 2012 PC game, even against Collingwood in Collingwood's traditional White jumpers.
checkside
Guest
Should the records start again in 1990.
Cameron
Guest
Well said Bayman. I believe the AFL started in 1990, so all Grnad Final victories won previously to 1990 should be VFA/VFL Grand Final victories (or in Port's case, SANFL), which means clubs like Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon etc. wouldn't have won 15, 16 etc. VFL?AFL premierships.
Franko
Guest
Looks like we are wearing prison bars in the last round. Any excuse I say, last game at footy park, heritage round, saturdays, whatever. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/port-goes-black-to-future-for-farewell-game-at-aami-stadium/story-e6freco3-1226626218338
Franko
Guest
Phelpsy, I thought the great Allan McAllistair (your pres before Eddy) said that if we finished above Collingwood in the first 3 seasons we would be able to wear the prison bar. A feat we achieved. More Collingwood manipulation i guess.
pionner
Guest
Can somebody tell me who was called the magpies first and who wore black and white first out of Collingwood and Port Adelaide?