Port Adelaide can’t wear their iconic prison bar jumper, that iconic sporting uniform that stands for the heart and soul of the proud working-class club in this Saturday’s Showdown against the Crows.
Collingwood has cracked the sads resulting in the AFL has caved into a man who is no longer President of the Magpies meaning Port will have to stick with their teal home jumper, which for what it’s worth, is still a bloody good footy kit.
However, while it is disapointing that Port Adelaide, a club established in 1874 (18 years before Collingwood) cannot wear their beautiful prison bar jumper there is still plenty of options on the table for the 🍐 to celebrate their history in this Saturday’s Showdown.
1. The 2009 Napi-San Stain Remover Jumper
Kane Cornes can actually get into a Twitter argument with himself regarding this crime against football fashion.
2. The Spikes
Forget the bars, how about the spikes? Port Powers original away kit was actually inspired by the SBS logo.
3. The Pure Teal Jumper – 2002 version
Worn in Port’s Round 9, 2002 clash v Collingwood, modelled by a slim Stewy Dew with old mate Chompers on the boundary doing a “call me” sign.
4. The Thunder jumper 2004-2006
Rumoured to have been designed by Ed Hardy, this was Port’s away jumper during their (current) only AFL premiership year of 2004.
(5) The Photoshop Gradient Jumper
Rather than celebrate Port’s wharfies, the club paid tribute to designers everywhere with this special Photoshop jumper from 2007-08.
(6) Planet Teal
FUN FACT! Port’s current home jumper was actually designed in a kids competition.
This one pictured was worn for one game in 2008, it was not the jumper that Port wears today.
(7) Heritage Jumper 2004
Warren Tredrea looked delighted to be wearing this number during Heritage Round back in 2004.
(8) Heritage Jumper 2005
This herirage jumper worn by Port in the Round 20, 2005 Showdown looks like it was designed by Gazman.
(9) The Premiership(s)* Winning Jumper
Forget the prison bars, Port Adelaide has actually won more AFL Premierships* in their pre-season outfit from 1997-2003 than any other kit.
This was the jumper the Power wore when they won back-to-back pre-season tournaments, winning the Ansett Cup in 2001 and the Wizard Cup in 2002.
(*Pre-Season)
(10) The South Australian State Jumper
“The legends of our club who have sweated blood for that jumper… are asking how can our club play against that guernsey?”
No, that’s not Eddie McGuire talking about Port Adelaide wearing the Prison Bar jumper in the Showdown, that’s a quote from David Koch himself when the Crows wanted to wear the SA State jumper in the very first game at Adelaide Oval back in 2014.
A passionate Koch at the time went on to say, “How would it be if the Blues put on the Big V to play another Victorian team? Or any team? How would Ed (McGuire) be with that? This is not a club issue this is a South Australian issue and the SANFL should not have allowed it. Nor should the AFL have allowed it. The state jumper should not be worn by clubs in the national league.”
The debate was incredibly similar, with SA footy icon Graham Cornes (father of Chad and Kane) weighing in at the time.
Port Adelaide ended up getting their way and the Crows were barred from wearing the state jumper in the 2014 Showdown.