David ‘Kochie’ Koch slams ex-Collingwood president Eddie McGuire over Port Adelaide prison jersey

David Koch and Eddie McGuire could be headed to a court battle as a dispute over their respective AFL clubs’ jumper designs becomes increasingly heated.

The television identities have been trading barbs over a push by Port Adelaide and its president ‘Kochie’ to be allowed to wear its traditional black-and-white striped jumper when it plays its ‘Showdown’ games against local rival Adelaide.

McGuire, who stood down as Collingwood president earlier this year but is still an outspoken mouthpiece for the club, insists only his club has the right to wear those colours and on Wednesday night he threatened to take it to court if Port did not back down.

‘Let’s just go to the Federal Court,’ Mr McGuire said on Nine’s Footy Classified after a heated argument with former Port great Kane Cornes.

Port had asked the AFL for permission to wear the traditional ‘prison bars’ guernsey it wore throughout its history before entering the AFL, and had even considered using it without league approval, but threats of premiership points deductions had stopped that.

 ‘I said ‘I’m happy to pay a fine and just bloody wear the thing’ and they said that ‘we’ll fine you and take points off you’,’ Koch said in an interview with Adelaide radio station 5AA on Thursday.

‘It would be four points for the game – we can’t afford that.’

Koch has accused McGuire of ‘insider trading’ and being part of an AFL ‘Melbourne mafia’ as the argument between the Seven and Nine media identities boiled over.

Tension between ex-Collingwood Magpies president Eddie McGuire and Port Adelaide Powers Chairman David ‘Kochie’ Koch (pictured) has heated up

When Port joined the AFL in 1997, they changed their name from the Magpies and the added teal to their black-and-white colours to distinguish themselves from Collingwood. 

In 2007, then Collingwood president Mr McGuire and former Port Adelaide CEO John James signed a contract agreeing to let the Power wear the traditional top in Heritage Round, which ended in 2008.  

Mr Koch was outraged when Mr McGuire admitted on Wednesday night that when the Magpies signed the agreement, they knew the Heritage round was going to be axed.  

‘This (agreement) was signed by a president of a club who had inside knowledge that the other parties were not aware of – it begs the question if the AFL was aware of it,’ he said.

‘That’s a reflection of this VFL [Victorian Australian Football], Melbourne mafia that pat the interstate clubs on the head, pay them a bit of attention but say ‘get away, this is our game’.  

‘In [the] finance world, that would be called insider trading.’

With Heritage Round no longer celebrated, Port has sought AFL permission to wear the jumper each time it plays the city rival Crows instead.  

Mr Koch has called a contract Eddie McGuire (pictured) signed in 2007 ‘insider trading’ and accused him of being part of an AFL ‘Melbourne mafia’

The Port Adelaide Powers want to wear a traditional black and white striped top (pictured) at a game with the Adelaide Crows on May 8 

McGuire said Port was seeking to further encroach on the terms of the 2007 agreement, which also called for the club to stop selling its old jumper – despite it still being worn by the reserves team in the SANFL.

Despite that agreement, the jumper is still sold and commonly worn by fans.

‘You’ve got Magpies on your scarves, you’ve got black and white strips,’ Mr McGuire said.

‘Why is there no respect for the Collingwood fans here?’

Mr Koch said Power had been waiting two years for the AFL to make a ruling on when and if the club can use the jumper in the national league.

‘Quite frankly it is ridiculous that we are still waiting for an answer. We first approached the AFL on this matter two years ago in the lead up to our 150th anniversary season. 

‘To think we are 10 days away from the Showdown and still waiting for a response is totally disrespectful to our fans and our club.’

Port Adelaide said they expect a response from the league by the end of Thursday. 

The two clubs signed an agreement (pictured) in 2007 which let Powers wear the traditional jersey at Heritage games – a round which was axed a year later