Port Adelaide changed into their prison bar jumper after Saturday night’s 49-point Showdown win over cross-town rivals Adelaide.
The AFL banned the Power from wearing the jumper against the Crows, but in a statement to the league and Collingwood, they donned the heritage strip in the Adelaide Oval rooms as they celebrated the victory.
Port Adelaide president David Koch revealed the club was threatened with a four-point deduction if they wore the jumper in Showdown 49 without the AFL's approval.
Magpies champion Dane Swan described Port Adelaide’s decision to wear the prison bar guernsey post-game as “cringeworthy”.
“Please don’t tell me that they put this on after the game?” Swan tweeted.
“If so this may be the most cringeworthy thing I’ve seen at AFL level.”
Please don’t tell me that they put this on after the game? If so this may be the most cringeworthy thing I’ve seen at AFL level. Absolutely no way it was a player driven idea and FYI I have no problem with em wearing it in a game so save that retort please https://t.co/J7Neh0lUAo
— Dane Swan (@swandane) May 8, 2021
AFL reporter Tony Jones was also critical of Port Adelaide’s “demonstrative” move.
“I’ve been at loggerheads with Eddie (McGuire) about this because I’ve said, ‘If they want to wear that jumper in one game a year, let them do it’. They were told not to do it and they didn’t,” Jones told Channel Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
“This here, to me, just smacks of a club being an absolute pack of smart alecs. That’s just being demonstrative. That's an up yours Collingwood and up yours AFL.”
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Port Adelaide champion Kane Cornes defended his former club but insists it’s time they moved on and focused on their premiership tilt.
“They're in their own change rooms, I don’t mind it. If it’s that important to them,” Cornes told Channel Nine’s Sunday Footy Show.
“What I will say is now it’s time to move on for Port Adelaide. They play the Western Bulldogs this week, it’s now time to put that behind you and wear the jumper you’re going to wear and move on.
“The Port Adelaide people loved it. I’m ok with that in their own change rooms.”
Heritage matters 🖤🤍 #weareportadelaide pic.twitter.com/DQoHnatJBk
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) May 8, 2021
