Port Adelaide allowed to wear 'prison bar' guernsey against Tigers
AFL permits the Power to wear famous jumper against Tigers
PORT Adelaide expects to receive its shipment of 'prison bar' guernseys from Fiji on Saturday morning, after apparel supplier ISC confirmed it could meet the production deadline.
The Power are now set to wear the heritage jumper in Sunday's elimination final at Adelaide Oval against Richmond.
However If the shipment fails to arrive in time, the club will wear its white clash strip as it was initially ordered to do by the AFL.
Port's home strip for this weekend's final will comprise the black-and-white guernsey, white shorts and black socks.
The AFL maintains that this strip will provide a distinctive contrast that will benefit the broadcaster, spectators, players and umpires.
ISC's team in Fiji will have to print, cut, sew and post the new jumpers to Alberton Oval by early Friday evening.
Port chief executive Keith Thomas said the manufacturing team would have to work "overtime for the next three days".
But after the challenges the club faced on Monday, he said it was a great result to be able to wear the traditional black-and-white guernsey.
"There's an element of risk associated with all that but [ISC] assure me it can be done," Thomas said.
"They had a template from a heritage guernsey we wore last year, so they now have to print, cut, sew and deliver. I think the idea is that 5.30pm on Friday night they have to be on a plane to get here by Saturday morning.
“Ironically the strip, with white shorts, will resemble the exact uniform worn by our 1965 SANFL premiership team, the last premiership won by Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval.
“Fittingly, our players will run out in this strip from the Geof Motley race who of course captained that 1965 team. It will be a great celebration of our “One Club” mantra with the Power in the AFL and the Magpies in the SANFL.”
The Power were outraged on Monday when they were directed to wear their clash strip, despite finishing fifth and earning the right to host the game at Adelaide Oval.
The club said the decision was based on the "assertion that Richmond does not have a clash strip that is distinctive enough when compared to the Power's traditional black home uniform".
The Tigers' clash strip is similar to its home strip, with additional yellow panels down the side of the jumper and around the neck and arms.
Tigers CEO Brendon Gale weighed in on the issue via Twitter, publishing a photo of the club's clash strip and stating it had been used against the Power since 2010.
Having finished fifth, three places higher than the Tigers, Thomas felt his club had fairly earned its right to wear its home strip at his home final.
He said he hadn't received so much as an apology from the League and that it was amateurish for such preventable scenarios to play out.
"It's a billion-dollar industry, you'd reckon that we could get those sorts of things right," Thomas said.
"You've got to be strong; Port Adelaide would prefer not to be wearing its white guernsey any week but it has to because we abide by the policy of the AFL.
"I don't think it's inappropriate for Richmond to have to wear a yellow guernsey when they're away and clashing with the home side.
"You can't have one rule for one group and another rule for another."
The AFL wishes to advise the Tribunal will not sit tonight, Tuesday September 2, after all players accepted the sanctions offered by the Match Review Panel from the weekend’s matches:
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