Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has accused Port Adelaide supremo David Koch of 'having a go' at the Magpies for marketing purposes over the 'prison bar' jersey saga.
The two AFL clubs have been at loggerheads over the last few years about the jersey, with the Power's heritage 'prison bar' guernsey looking similar to Collingwood's traditional black and white stripes jumper.
In a recent development, current Magpies president Jeff Browne said that while Collingwood 'own' the black and white stripes, the club would enable Port Adelaide to honour their history in the South Australian derby.
Eddie McGuire comments on Collingwood allowing Port Adelaide to wear 'prison bars'
MORE: Port Adelaide prison bars: Collingwood to 'enable' Power to wear heritage jersey
Commenting on this deal made by his former club, McGuire suggested it would lead to Port Adelaide taking advantage of the situation and wearing the controversial strip more often.
McGuire also claimed that Collingwood never denied Port Adelaide the chance to wear the prison bars - as long it wasn't frequently - and suggested the media was always keen to wind the Magpies up.
"'Kochie’ is a smart guy he gets the marketing and needs to show he’s in there having a go. He takes on the big guys, ‘we’ll have a go at Collingwood’," McGuire said on the Eddie and Jimmy podcast.
"Now every time Port Adelaide has asked Collingwood when I was the president, we said yes. So let me just let that rattle around. Every time they asked, we said yes.
"What we didn‘t want it to be was every year or every home game – and we could see where it was going. You have a look at the last couple of years, the AFL allowed them to start putting the Magpie – the Collingwood Magpie – on their scarfs and all their merchandise.
"I think the toothpaste is out of the tube and they’ll be wearing it at their home games going forward, both their Showdown game and probably they’ll come up with another one.
"One last thing: No one ever in these conversations – because in Adelaide, the press are sycophants over there and do whatever they want for the for the local sides, and in Melbourne anything that gees up Collingwood supporters is clickbait and you go with it, and most of the people in the AFL media if they don’t barrack for Collingwood hate the Pies – no one ever had any concern for the Collingwood supporters, who have bought that jumper, stayed with that jumper, didn‘t sell that jumper and have worn it from the very first game. I just find that a bit sad.
"Good luck to them. I would have thought black-and-teal was a good compromise."
In allowing Port Adelaide to wear the heritage jersey, Collingwood president Browne explained they would support the Power to acknowledge their history.
"Since the formation of the Collingwood Football Club in 1892, we have worn black-and-white stripes," Browne said in a statement on Saturday.
"The Collingwood jumper is part of the fabric of our club and is one of the most iconic in Australian Football.
"When Port Adelaide entered the AFL in 1997, a binding agreement was signed between the Club and Collingwood, with Port giving up the black and white colours and the Magpie emblem as part of their entrance into the national competition.
"While we own the stripes in the AFL competition, we acknowledge the history and origins of the Port Adelaide Football Club and their contribution to South Australian football over a long period of time.
"As president of the club board and following ongoing discussions with Port Adelaide President David Koch, it is our view that we acknowledge the history of Port Adelaide prior to their entry into the AFL and support them to wear their ‘Prison Bar’ guernsey in their upcoming home Showdown against the Crows in round three."
Port Adelaide last wore the 'prison bar' jersey during the round two Showdown against Adelaide in 2020, with several requests to wear it denied since.
The Power have been threatened with a loss of points if they chose to wear the guernsey without permission and have been seen wearing it post-match in celebration as a response.
In 2022, Browne conceded that Collingwood would be prepared to allow the Power to wear an alternate 'prison bar' jersey where the white stripes were changed to a teal colour.
Koch said Browne and Magpies CEO Craig Kelly had been 'outstanding' during discussions about the club wearing the 'prison bar' strip.
"There is a genuine sense of goodwill from Collingwood and an understanding that heritage is important to all clubs, not least of all Port Adelaide. We thank them for their collegiate approach," Koch said.
"We look forward to continuing our positive discussions with Collingwood in regards to wearing our black-and-white prison bar guernsey again next year and beyond."
