Koch fires back at McGuire in prison bars stoush
PORT Adelaide chairman David Koch says he isn’t expecting any action from the AFL for the “player decision” to wear the historic prison bars while singing the song after beating Adelaide in Showdown 49.
And Koch says former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire “believes he can speak on behalf of the AFL” after his sparring partner on
Port Adelaide’s push to wear the jumper said the club was playing with fire by antagonising head office.
After their request to wear the prison bars jumper on the field in Saturday night’s Showdown was rejected by the AFL, Power players changed into the black and white guernsey in the rooms.
“Basically it was a player decision to wear the guernsey in the song, it wasn’t about Eddie, it wasn’t about the AFL,” Koch said on FIVEaa. “It was about our fans, it was about our members and it was about the history around the club.”
It is understood the AFL took no umbrage from the move by the Power because from the league’s perspective, Port followed the directive not to wear the jumper in the game. Koch said he had heard nothing from the AFL.
“You are allowed to wear anything in the changerooms,” he said.
But on Sunday McGuire said on Fox Footy Port’s move was a “direct poke in the eye to Gillon McLachlan and the AFL commission”.
“They are playing with fire on this because they have signed an agreement that they would not manufacture any of those jumpers for merchandise and the crowd. They are starting to overplay their hand,” he said.