Eddie McGuire has once again slammed Port Adelaide for asking to wear their ‘prison bar’ guernsey in Showdowns this year.
The former Collingwood president, who has been the biggest stumbling block for the Power in their quest to wear the jumper, teed off on Footy Classified saying Port should focus on becoming a club that makes money.
“They had it last year! So take me through this, they thought about it last year, knew they were going to play in front of an empty stadium, wore it anyway and then this year they’ll have it for the 151st (anniversary). What about next year, what is it, Mark Williams’ birthday or something?” McGuire said.
“The Collingwood Football Club jumper is one of the most sought-after, expensive jumpers. We’ve just done a massive deal with Nike, with CGU and Emirates on there.
“Collingwood receives $6 million a year less than Port Adelaide, so Collingwood is a net-giver every year and has been to the competition right the way through.
“If they want to celebrate something big, when they start becoming, instead of a net-receiver, a net-giver, then we’ll have a bit of a look at it. That jumper of Collingwood’s keeps them going because we make a lot of money off the back of that.
“It is a trademark issue. The AFL, when they took over all our trademarks, they must protect the trademark.
“Everyone is sick of it. They’ve got great jumpers. They’ve got a thousand jumpers they’ve worn over the years. It’s not a small thing. If it’s such a small thing, why are they driving us mad every year.
“Worry about (winning a flag), worry about making money and stop annoying us every year. Simple as that. Back off, no. You’ve got a great jumper, just get on with it. It’s just annoying now.”
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Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes fired back at McGuire on Thursday morning, saying he wasn’t sure how the club’s finances were relevant to the discussion.
On top of that, Cornes called out the AFL for not resolving this issue one way or the other.
“The AFL has been pathetic on this issue. Absolutely pathetic,” Cornes told SEN SA Breakfast.
“The AFL could have solved this issue 15 years ago and said this is it, this is the rules and this is what’s happening – and they can still do that.
“It’s like when they allowed Collingwood to get away with not having a clash jumper. The AFL were weak on that issue. They were weak with Richmond, now finally Richmond has a clash jersey, which they won a premiership in.
“Has that hurt anyone? Has that hurt Richmond by having a clash guernsey? Will it hurt Collingwood to let Port Adelaide wear a clash jumper in two showdowns? No it won’t.
“It won’t affect the Collingwood Football Club one bit.”
