Eddie McGuire threatens court action over heated clash with David Koch - just weeks after the Collingwood boss's racism row with the Sunrise host
- Eddie McGuire has threatened legal action over David Koch's AFL team
- Port Adelaide will don its traditional 'Prison Bar' strip to re-launch its season
- Koch is seeking approval for black and white stripes at all Adelaide showdowns
- Collingwood president McGuire insists his club owns the black and white stripes
Eddie McGuire has threatened legal action over a clash with David Koch about Port Adelaide fighting to wear a black and white striped guernsey for matches with their rival club.
Port Adelaide will don its traditional 'Prison Bar' strip to re-launch its 150th anniversary season in next week's showdown with the Adelaide Crows.
The club are also seeking to approval to wear the jerseys for all its matches against its hometown rival, despite Collingwood's president, McGuire, insisting the Magpies own the black and white stripes.
The latest row comes after McGuire slammed the Sunrise host for claiming AFL legend Mick Malthouse would bring back the White Australia Policy in response to comments he made about China.
Eddie McGuire (pictured) has threatened legal action over a clash with David Koch about Port Adelaide fighting to wear a black and white striped guernsey for matches with a rivalry club
In a statement about the jersey debacle, Koch, who is the Port Adelaide chairman, said any 'fair-minded person' would understand that what the club is asking for is 'not unreasonable'.
'We are simply asking the AFL to approve Port Adelaide to wear our iconic guernsey in South Australia against our local rivals, the Adelaide Crows,' Koch said.
'We aren't asking to wear it every week, or every home game, or against Collingwood. All we are asking is to wear it in Adelaide against our South Australian rivals.
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'Let me be clear on this. We are not asking to be the Magpies in the AFL or to use that emblem or logo in any way. All we are asking is to wear a guernsey that has been adored by our people since 1902.
'This is a guernsey of great significance to Port Adelaide, South Australian football and ultimately Australian football.'
Koch said there is an existing agreement in place from 2007 between Port Adelaide, Collingwood and the AFL that states clearly Port Adelaide has permission to wear the Prison Bar guernsey in all home AFL Heritage Rounds.
Koch, who is the Port Adelaide chairman, said any 'fair-minded person' would understand that what the club is asking for is 'not unreasonable'. 'We are simply asking the AFL to approve Port Adelaide to wear our iconic guernsey in South Australia against our local rivals, the Adelaide Crows,' Koch said
'Ironically, Heritage Rounds ceased to exist from that point,' he said.
'We will argue that showdowns now represent the heritage of South Australian football and we should therefore be granted permission to wear it on an ongoing basis.
'In a year like no other when we've seen the importance of family, community and heritage we believe any decision not to allow us to wear this guernsey in showdowns would be nothing short of mean spirited.'
McGuire said the jumper argument was 'so boring' on Channel 9's Footy Classified.
'Every single time Port Adelaide has asked for this for a special occasion we've said yes. Even when they played a final against Richmond, which really had no reason, but we said 'OK',' McGuire told Footy Classified.
'I don't want to buy into this because Port Adelaide is celebrating their 150th anniversary. They're a mighty club, we wish them all the best. So I don't want to go into this again and again because we have handshake agreements, we have contracts, we have trademark agreements, the AFL own the trademark.
Port Adelaide players are pictured wearing the traditional Prison Bars at Adelaide Oval in 2014
'What annoys me, and I think David is being so disingenuous to his own supporters, is he goes on South Australian radio or TV and he fizzes them up.
'The Magpie is Collingwood Magpie – and that's that.'
McGuire was asked if his club would consider approving the guernsey request for showdowns post 2020.
He said: 'They can't. Well they can – if they want to go to court.'
'If the AFL Commission doesn't do what it's there for – ie protect its clubs and its trademarks – then they're going to really get into some (trouble).'
McGuire hit out at Koch in May after the latter implied Malthouse had racist motivations by calling for an end to the sport's annual game in China.
Koch accused the three-time premiership coach of wanting to 'bring back the White Australia policy'.
The latest row comes after McGuire slammed the Sunrise host (pictured) for claiming AFL legend Mick Malthouse would bring back the White Australia Policy after making comments about China
McGuire said Koch's comment 'was a step not too far, but about 200 steps too far.'
'I hope that Kochie looks back on that and says ''you know what, I might've just acted a little bit irrationally on that one and I retract''.'
Malthouse said the annual game in China, which Port Adelaide had pioneered under Koch's presidency, should be called off in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus.
'The last thing we need to do is sell our soul, and I think most people are seeing that. I'm not anti-Chinese. Am I anti-Chinese government? Yes I am,' Malthouse said.
'I don't think we should be seen to be selling our soul to a regimen that clearly has different values than we do.'
Koch replied by saying that Malthouse had 'no expertise' on the topic and followed with a scathing criticism of the former AFL coach.
'(China) are our biggest trading partner, our biggest customer... and using football to build a bridge with China through community and trade has become really important,' Koch said.
'So Mick Malthouse doesn't know what he is talking about and with comments like that - if it was up to Mick Malthouse he'd bring back the White Australia policy of the 1950s.'
Mick Malthouse (pictured) said he felt AFL games scheduled for China should be scrapped which prompted Koch to label the AFL great a 'dinosaur'
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