There are three guarantees in life. Death, taxes, and Port Adelaide requesting to wear their erroneously labelled ‘prison bar’ jumpers at every possible opportunity.
The argument goes like this: we have worn this jumper through our history, and have the right to celebrate our tradition. On the face of it, this is a reasonable argument.
Indeed why should clubs not be allowed to celebrate history? Well, according to Collingwood, for commercial reasons, but we’ll get to that.
Port Adelaide’s history matters
Unfortunately, when Port Adelaide have argued history matters, they have only argued their history matters. How dare someone dictate to US what we wear, so the argument goes.
But other history and tradition, who cares? In 2014, Adelaide were going to wear a version of the traditional South Australian state guernsey. The CEO Steven Trigg at the time stated “This is about our deep respect and admiration for South Australian football and all those who have been involved”.
Indeed, the Adelaide Crows entered the AFL in 1991 as something of an amalgamation of everything good about South Australian footy. They even wore, and still wear, the same colours as the state side.
But always a club obsessed with their own tradition, Port shot back, releasing a club statement:
“Our club’s current and former SA-born players are disappointed by the Crows decision. The Crows have stated they are wearing the guernsey to celebrate SA football. Port Adelaide finds this reasoning peculiar given that wearing it in a Showdown will actually divide the state. This guernsey is a symbol of SA football unification, not division.”
So there you have it. Port will decide what tradition is and isn’t. And how to interpret tradition. Adelaide went on not to wear the state jumper in the showdown, while Port wore their jumper which borrows its design from the state jumper. But that’s okay, because Port say so.
Commercial reasons are irrelevant
The main counter to Port wearing their prison bars seems to be from Collingwood, who claim the black and white stripes are their intellectual property. Furthermore, no other club should gain commercially from wearing a similar design in the AFL.
The response from Port people is usually less nuanced. Something along the lines of, ‘who cares?’ Well, apparently Port do.
In 2017, when Port flexed their financial power, spending half a million dollars to use a Gold Coast Suns home game as their own sort-of-home game in China.
Unfortunately the financial visionaries at Port had failed to realise the Suns shared colours with the Chinese flag. Either that or they thought they would simply bully the Suns into submission.
Nonetheless, the top brass at Port were worried the Suns would get some financial benefit from wearing their own jumper, so they attempted to stop such a travesty.
David Koch accused the Suns of “playing funny buggers” around the jumper situation, apparently convinced they would simply lay down. The club who hate being told what not to wear, were telling another club not to wear a jumper in a home game that wasn’t theirs, despite teams not having the right to dictate such things anyway.
So in summary. Teams should be allowed to wear jumpers honouring their tradition. Unless Port say so. And commercialism isn’t a valid reason to stop another team wearing a jumper. Unless Port say so.
The true irony – and let me indulge a small moment of opinion as a brief escape from all these inescapable facts – is that Port’s greatest ever jumper came in the AFL era. The home jumper they wore for over a decade after they joined the AFL in 1997.
The jumper in which they made their greatest ever achievement: the 2004 AFL premiership. That jumper, with a thick panel of teal across the chest, and lightning bolts structured as a nice reference to their prison bars, has been inexplicably forgotten.
Michael Wilson of the Power celebrates. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The true Port Adelaide tradition
Port are a club steeped in tradition. They had a terrifying array of pink and magenta jumpers in the 1800s, but they don’t really talk about those.
They’re known for black and white prison bar jumpers, Alberton, SANFL dominance, and even AFL mediocrity.
And we all know about their 36 (well 34 before they joined the AFL but who cares about accuracy) SANFL premierships. You know, because they remind us every chance they get.
But the true Port Adelaide tradition? Well surely that’s telling everyone else how great their traditions are, whilst having no respect for anyone else’s.
Hopefully Port’s attempts to wear their pier guernsey are as successful as their sojourn into China.
Seymorebutts
Roar Rookie
Cheers bud.. I'm Not a Port man.. and to me it's an awful strip. If you like good for you. The current strip.. with the V is one of the best in the league imo. Cheers
Jimmy Woods
Roar Rookie
Williamstown v Port Melbourne since 1870’s is fierce. When did Port Adelaide & Red Legs first clash?
Micko
Roar Rookie
That actually makes me curious why Collinwood changed from majority white to majority black in the early 2000's???
Jimmy Woods
Roar Rookie
Get the passion but I watched Mark Williams on the Front Bar as a great Collingwood & Port Adelaide star say very clearly that the debate is mute because the AFL team accepted the rules of entry.
Jimmy Woods
Roar Rookie
And that’s the deal for Port Adelaide to join the AFL, Collingwood owns black & white at this level. Utmost respect for the SA Magpies & phenomenal success, but B&W are our colours in the AFL. And that muck raking flog Koch knows it.
Jimmy Woods
Roar Rookie
That’s really interesting ????
Micko
Roar Rookie
No prison bar jersey then???
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't wanna be traditional rivals with a team whose home games are played on an Antarctic postage stamp either, bugger all chance of a winning record over a long period of time playing half your games down there.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
That actual China venture was a Chinese business mans idea.Kochy being a business man often mixed business and pleasure and hosted Chinese business people at Port games at Adelaide Oval.One guy in particular loved the game and wanted it brought to China.He wanted Port obviously due to kochy but loved the jumper also [some people new to a new sport will watch a game and pick a side purely by color or guernsey design] This person also put a truckload of money into the venture to make it happen.He is a big part of why Port wore the home strip guernsay for the game and a big reason the AFL signed off on it
Micko
Roar Rookie
Collingwood specifically asked for no black & white stripes though, so can't see that one being approved.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Common sense suggestion Griffo, but unfortunately the sport never adopted a mandated alternative strip rule across Australia.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Absolutely Gyfox. But PAFC accepted more than a quarter of a century ago that they were going to have to create a new identity for the AFL, and retain their previous identity as purely one for the SANFL comp. So the issue was actually resolved a long time ago. :thumbup: Ultimately the can of worms come from the fact that Australian Football never adopted Soccer's policy of alternative playing strips with completely different colours. North Melbourne were told to change their navy blue & monogram design strip when joining the VFL because Carlton already had a similar strip. Swan Districts entered the WAFL in the 1930's as a black & white striped team. They didn't clash with anyone because the North Freo Magpies (a black & white striped team) pulled out during WW1 due to a player shortage, and never returned to the WAFL.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Perhaps keeping ones mouth closed was more of a Scotty thing Reckon the Barley farmers might agree
RT
Roar Rookie
As I said, don't blame them, but facts are facts. I wouldn't be blaming the ex PM, China you may recall had a bit to do with COVID 19.
RT
Roar Rookie
Yeah, I feel Geelong and Melbourne really should be considered traditional rivals, but they don't seem to be.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
That's just called good business, and I don't recall anyone being told anything, as if Port have that sort of pull Clearly it was organised by Port, all the other clubs had to do was fly there, Port refurbished a stadium to make it happen, employed staff, in China. The Scotty from marketing chucked it all in the bin
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Port n Norwood always drew the biggest crowd in their 2 or 3 meetings every year. Cats and Dees have never had anything near like that. They're also responsible for around 65 flags.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Not rivals tho
RT
Roar Rookie
Not really Rowdy. Geelong and Melbourne have been competing since 1859.
RT
Roar Rookie
How generous of Port. Gold Coast and St Kilda were pretty well told by the AFL they would play there (which I don't really mind since they are so heavily subsidised). Port was the away team. The fact is, they refused to give up a home game at Adelaide Oval for their great Red Adventure so they were the away team. The audacity to then complain that Gold Coast wanted to wear their home guernsey. When Richmond wanted to play in Cairns for money, they were the home team. Same for Saints, Hawthorn in Tasmania, North in Tasmania/ Sydney/ Canberra and St Kilda in NZ etc, but when Port play ask to play in China they are the away team. Can't blame them, but facts are facts. They have also played as many games in Darwin as any other team but they are always the away team, so they will be as familiar (or more so) than the home team, but still get their 11 home games.