The AFL has denied Port Adelaide's request to wear its Prison Bar guernsey in next week's Showdown clash against the Crows.
The Power had been allowed to wear the black and white stripes in their 150th anniversary season in 2020 and had hoped to continue the tradition in Showdowns.
However, the AFL has officially rejected the club's plea to don its iconic prison bars moving forward.
The league released a statement on Thursday afternoon, detailing the decision.
The AFL confirms it has not approved the request for Port Adelaide to wear a black and white striped ‘prison bars’ guernsey for the Round 8 match vs Adelaide Crows next week.
After reviewing the request from the Port Adelaide Football Club, the AFL determined the existing signed agreements between the Port Adelaide Football Club, Collingwood and the AFL on the use of the “prison bar” guernsey would remain in place.
In 2019, the AFL, Port Adelaide and Collingwood came to an agreement that allowed one-off approval for the ‘prison bar’ guernsey to be worn in Port Adelaide’s home match against the Adelaide Crows to celebrate the Club’s 150th anniversary.
That agreement, signed by all parties, stipulated the guernsey was specifically approved for Port Adelaide’s use only for that single match in 2020 and Collingwood’s approval did not bind it with respect to any other future proposals by the Port Adelaide Football Club in respect of the guernsey.
Collingwood Football Club has made it clear that, at this time, it does not agree to further use of the guernsey by PAFC including in ‘Showdown’ matches against Adelaide Crows.
On that basis, and consistent with the arrangements that have applied to all previous instances of use of the “prison bar” guernsey by Port Adelaide since the Club joined the AFL (i.e. with the approval of the AFL and Collingwood) the AFL does not grant permission for the guernsey to be worn in Round 8.
The AFL will continue to work with both clubs going forward on any potential future use of the guernsey.
Earlier on Thursday, Port Adelaide chairman David Koch alleged that the club was tricked into signing an agreement in 2007 that meant the Power could only wear the black and white stripes during in the AFL’s heritage round – which ceased to exist in 2008.
He revealed that the AFL threatened to deduct Port of premiership points if they pulled on the guernsey again.
“It’ll cost me points. I did ask that,” Koch said on FIVEaa Breakfast.
“I said ‘I’m happy to pay a fine, I’ll just bloody wear the thing’. They said ‘we’ll fine you and take points off you’ … it would be four points for the game. We can’t afford (to do that).”
