There is a clear solution to the Port-Collingwood prison bar row

As a Collingwood supporter I’d like to see Port wearing their traditional prison bar footy jumper. Not just for heritage round but for every round – and for ever more.

Why shouldn’t every round be a heritage round? How can, and why should, any club disregard or disrespect their heritage?

Disrespecting doesn’t mean we don’t have the gonads to confront, challenge and change aspects of our heritage that need it.

This is healthy, but we also embrace and celebrate our successes, and who we are warts and all. Collingwood supporters are in the process of doing this in this very moment of our history.

We all know life evolves and changes, and sometimes not in the way we would like.

Part of me still misses not having South Melbourne and Fitzroy as a strong presence in the footballing landscape of Melbourne.

But I reckon despite the uprooting and upheaval both clubs went through, the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions have done a pretty good job at honouring their heritage, their guernsey, their supporters, their history, and the true believers.

Legends and heroes of their clubs like Bobby Skilton and Kevin Murray eventually endorsed the moves and now both clubs have evolved with a strong presence and identity, albeit connected to but different from their Melbourne origins, in the footballing landscape of Australia.

Even the Giants and the Suns who by traditional footballing standards are not much more than fabricated, rootless, propped up, marketing franchises implanted in non Aussie Rules locations, are managing to establish some tradition.

The creation of the Giants and the Suns existence took place at the expense of supporting truly traditional, historical, organically, deep cultural Australian Rules Football roots.

Namely, Tasmanian footy. That in itself is another story but let’s acknowledge that the thriving powerful beast that was Tasmanian football that regularly punched way above its weight, was gradually reduced and whittled away to become the sacrificial lamb of the AFL.

Having its throat cut and its blood poured out upon the lands of Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney to bleed footy rich nutrients into otherwise barren and soulless soil.

But to give credit where credit is due, in the face of very difficult situations both the Suns and the Giants are establishing an identity and the beginnings of a heritage and a legacy. They’re both gradually finding their feet and actually developing something akin to football guernsies.

I immediately associate Toby Greene with orange, and am happy to see he has extended his contract with the Giants. In this case we get to experience history in the making. And I’m hoping Greene’s loyalty will be rewarded by him being there when the Giants win their first premiership.

Toby Greene (left) (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Hopefully Matty Rowell and others will do the same with the Suns. And just as importantly the AFL do whatever they can to undo the damage they have inflicted on Tasmanian footy.

If they can grow the game in Western Sydney how can they not do it so much more easily in Aussie Rules heartland like Tassie (and the Territory)?

But back to Port!

What a great history this footy club has. And what a great guernsey!

I believe Collingwood and Port could still play each other in something very close to their traditional guernsies.

The home side has a bit more black on the day and the visiting side has a bit more white, the obvious black versus white shorts, and make the socks distinctively different.

The jumpers are different enough and can be tweaked enough for either club not to have to sell their soul or identity with the AFL gimmicky trend of flooding the markets with pretend “away” insipid and insulting footy jumpers and merchandise to up revenue in more sales.

Collingwood and Port in their traditional get ups. Imagine the passions ignited as tooth and nail is fought to win the day. (Although granted, probably not a lot of teeth!) And in Eddie and Kochie speak, imagine the “marketing possibilities and opportunities”. It could become the biggest rivalry in modern footy.

I don’t buy this argument about how marketing of the Collingwood (baa baa) “brand” will be negatively impacted by Port’s prison bar jumper.

World-class multi national conglomerates like Emirates, Nike and co won’t be having board meetings any time soon to decide Port Adelaide’s footy jumper is too similar and therefore decide to tear up sponsorship deals with the Pies.

And the local CWA won’t decide to now divide half their profits and donations from their tea and scones sales between Pies and Port because they both have black and white in their jumpers.

And all those kids out there who are budding future Pies supporters, we can trust that their parents will know to buy Pies and not Port jumpers and therefore saving Collingwood from a financial crisis. And I’m pretty sure Port kids will not be buying Collingwood jumpers no matter what happens.

Should Collingwood have a mortgage on prison bars? (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Ok maybe there could be some marketing fall out but I suspect an insignificant amount. And the rewards of confidence in our own identity, self belief, shrewd wise investments and expansions will far out weigh the costs of fearful petty insularity.

Collingwood have the capacity to grow and expand, and to honour our own heritage and legacy, regardless of what Port Adelaide are doing. Lately Eddie reminds me of the little boy continually hoarding and filling up his marble bag until the bag is so heavy he can’t carry it any more.

Careful you don’t lose your marbles Ed. The only satisfaction I gain from Eddie’s antics is that it seem to make Kochie carry on like an even bigger dill.

Remember when the Eagles came into the comp. Hawthorn did not have an identity crisis or a crisis of faith. They could have demanded, “hang on you can’t come into our comp thinking you’re a bigger more powerful hawk than what we are, that’s going to destroy our (baa baa) “brand” and all our sponsorship deals, and too many of our future supporters will be buying Eagles jumpers”.

What did the Hawks do? They remained steady, straight and true like a Jason Dunstall drop punt and did what Hawthorn do. Quietly went about the business of winning premierships and increasing memberships to record levels.

But now the flip side for my Port brethren is this.

You did sign a contract in good faith.

You did do the wrong thing by the South Australian footy family and told them a big fat porky pie at the footy family table.

To get something in life we have to give something.

And we don’t get everything our own way.

So the price to pay to wear your true traditional jumper every week is that both Port clubs use the Power name and emblem.

This is nothing to do with (baa baa) “brand” but everything to do with heritage and the evolution of yours and our great clubs. The evolution from the Cockledivers, the Seaside Men, the Seasiders, the Magentas, the Magpies, to the Power.

And there’s “history here in the making”!

And for the Magpies – there can be only one! One Magpie in the AFL, and it’s Collingwood!

And as Port people have been saying PAFC and Port Power are one entity, one Soul, one club. And good on you for saying it.

But you can’t have your cake and eat it too. You can’t use one argument for the guernsey and then conveniently discard the same premise for the emblem. As the famous late great Yabby Jeans said to his boys, “Pay The Price”!

Port must stay the Power. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

And for a bit of fun…

The Power is a great name and emblem but if we want to stick with the black and white and bird theme (Port Adelaide Zebras wouldn’t work), I’ve been thinking:

Port Adelaide Mudlarks! Sounds a bit like Magpies and they are a similar looking bird.

It’s also known as the Pee Wee.

The Port Adelaide Pee Wees, hmmm mightn’t work!

Port Adelaide Penguins? Hmmm nup.

Port Adelaide Pigeons – often there are pigeons in the upper nooks and crannies of the prisons, pooing over everything? Na maybe not.

But how about Port Adelaide Prison Birds. A good match for the jumper?

I think the one that really works is……wait for it….. drum roll please…….

The Port Adelaide Willy Wag Tails!

Black and white, fiesty, cheeky, protects its own, and like the Magpie, has no teeth.

And look at the acronym.

Port Adelaide Willy Wag Tails

PAWWT!

Go Pawwt!