COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire always expected the telephone call - and the now "traditional" topic - before every game his AFL club played against Port Adelaide.
To his credit, the television personality never dodged the calls. Sometimes he would even come back for a second bite in the well-known debate. But McGuire never enjoyed a "public brawl" on what the Port Adelaide Football Club should or should not wear on the eve of a game with Collingwood, the club that claims an exclusive trademark on black-and-white stripes.
Perhaps there is that memory of the power of the bars in the lead-up to the 2014 elimination final at Adelaide Oval where Port Adelaide - the higher-ranked team - was told by the AFL to get out of its black jumper to avoid a clash with Richmond's black trim. This led to the last (but certainly not final) time the famous Port Adelaide bars were worn in the AFL.
Not in dispute is the energy those black-and-white bars - and the battle to wear them - brings from the Port Adelaide fan on the terraces.
There is no Port Adelaide-Collingwood game this weekend. The round 5 fixture at the MCG - a throwback to Port Adelaide's first official AFL premiership match in 1997 - is another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic that is (tragically) doing far more than putting Australian football on hold.
But why would we let a well-worked tradition slip away? Why wouldn't we revisit some of the classic moments in which Port Adelaide has - and has not - put away the bars to avoid a clash with Collingwood's black-and-white stripes ... or to suit a different agenda?
There are three, from the most recent:
MAY 24, 2002.
Port Adelaide went all-teal for a home game against Collingwood at Football Park.
To look back at the vision today, it seems incredulous that Port Adelaide would give up its home jumper to wear a training top in a Friday night game from West Lakes with a national television audience ... and Collingwood president Eddie McGuire in the Channel Nine commentary box.
Why? Did someone in the AFL football department make a horrendous call, to pre-empt the 2014 elimination final farce? Was this a sign of the notable power of Collingwood - that blackballed Port Adelaide's 1990 AFL campaign on the basis the national league had room for just one black-and-white team - has at AFL House?
None of the above.
"It was a sponsorship opportunity that was too good to miss," recalls Port Adelaide chief executive Brian Cunningham.
In a repeat of the Carlton episode in 1997, confectionery giant Mars was releasing a teal version of the m&m's chocolates.
"We came to know about it very late in the piece. So late we did not have time to even start designing a special, one-off teal jumper. And there certainly was no time for Nike to deliver whatever we designed.
"But we did have a teal training guernsey.
"It was a good opportunity. Too good to ignore. The AFL was supportive. In fact, they loved the idea."
And the money was too good to pass up.
"Substantial," says Cunningham.
Considering Carlton banked $250,000 for its light blue m&m's guernsey in 1997, it is not hard to fathom that Port Adelaide collected at least $300,000 for wearing teal on national television in the most-watched AFL game of the weekend. And club benefactor, Allan Scott, certainly did not mind his "Scott's Transport" name being plastered across the front of the Port Adelaide teal jumper.
For a change, Eddie had no black-and-white debate before a Port Adelaide match. Such was his delight (and relief), he eagerly endorsed Port Adelaide in teal during a presentation of the jumper by Cunningham and ruckman-forward Brendon Lade on the Channel Nine Footy Show on the eve of the match.
As a jumper it certainly is a one-off that is unlikely to have a sequel for the Port Adelaide Football Club.
FEBRUARY 10, 1993
Eddie McGuire was 29 - and still five years from saving the Collingwood Football Club as its president. The presidency was still in the hands of Allan McAlister, who had voted against Port Adelaide's entry to the AFL in 1990 after the SANFL's leaders had strategically made a point about Collingwood losing its exclusive hold on black-and-white stripes in the national competition.
But Collingwood - perhaps to follow Essendon's suit in getting some invaluable knowledge on how to play Football Park - was still prepared to play Port Adelaide in promotional games in Adelaide as the campaign for the second SA-based AFL licence developed pace.
Former Sheffield Shield cricketer, Norwood under-19s goalkicking star and Advertiser and News sportswriter Alan Shiell picks up the story ... and probably makes the first mention in print of that "prison bars" term.
"The pre-match mystery about which club would sacrifice its traditional black-and-white guernsey to avoid possible confusion was solved when the teams ran on to the ground," Shiell wrote in the The Advertiser.
"Neither side changed.
"Port Adelaide wore its prison-bars jumper (and black shorts), which provided enough of a contrast with Collingwood's wide, vertical stripes (and white shorts).
"Port Adelaide's only concession was to wear its old black-and-white hooped socks instead of its new, plain black socks, as worn by Collingwood."
For the record, Collingwood won by three points - 13.12 (90) to 13.9 (87) with Mark Tylor kicking six of Port Adelaide's first eight goals to give the 22,000 on the Football Park terraces a sample of what was to come.
OCTOBER 15, 1910
Port Adelaide had won the SA Football League premiership. Collingwood was king of the Victorian Football League. And Adelaide Oval was the setting for the "Champions of Australia" play-off.
And there was the issue of two teams in black-and-white stripes.
Port Adelaide offered the solution. The club noted that if it turned its jumper inside out, its players would be in an all-black guernsey (with white sleeves for those players preferring long-sleeve jumpers).
Numbers did not matter at the time as it was not until 1912 that Port Adelaide added this feature to its on-field attire.
There was the suggestion that Port Adelaide would wear red socks. That probably was a step too far. The players kept their black-and-white hoops on their lower legs.
So Port Adelaide appeared to fashion the New Zealand rugby team - black guernsey, black shorts. Black-and-white socks.
Collingwood wore its black-and-white jumper, black shorts and black socks.
Notable in this game - bar the result - is Collingwood being led by the great Dick Lee after captain (and the club's first official coach) George Angus was ruled out with a knee injury.
Port Adelaide won the Champions of Australia title - its third - convincingly, 15.20 (110) to 7.9 (51).
Eddie McGuire might note that each time Port Adelaide has conceded on its black-and-white bars, Collingwood has lost the match.
Port Adelaide-Collingwood matches will come again. And so will the emotionally charged point of Port Adelaide having the right to wear the bars by its agenda - not that of Collingwood.
BIRD SEED
(Or, the little things we say count the most)
PORT ADELAIDE v COLLINGWOOD
IN AFL
Played 31 times. Port Adelaide won 15, Collingwood 16.
Most recent game: May 3 last year, Collingwood won by 39 points at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium.
By venues - Football Park (13 games, Port Adelaide won 7, lost 6); MCG (11 games, Port Adelaide won 6, lost 5); Docklands (five games, Port Adelaide won 0); Adelaide Oval (2 games, Port Adelaide won 2).
Pre-season games: Once in Group B of the 2000 Ansett Cup night premiership series. Port Adelaide won by nine points at Football Park.
Premiership count since 1997 - One each: Port Adelaide (2004), Collingwood (2010).
OUTSIDE AFL
Two notable games.
Football Park, 1993 pre-season: Collingwood by three points.
Adelaide Oval, 1910 post-season for Champions of Australia title: Port Adelaide by 59 points.
FIVE MEMORABLE MOMENTS
1) Elimination final, 2013. MCG.
Port Adelaide was emerging from the "dark chapter" from 2008-2012. It had qualified for its first AFL final series since the 2007 grand final disaster by ranking seventh with a 12-10 win-loss count. Collingwood was sixth, 14-8. Port Adelaide defied all the concerns of being overwhelmed by a battle-hardened opponent on the MCG to lead at every charge - at the first by six points; the second by 12; the third by eight - and, true to first-year coach Ken Hinkley's promise that his team would out-run opponents, Port Adelaide out-gunned the highly favoured Collingwood in the last term to win the knock-out final by 24 points. Key forward Jay Schulz and young gun Chad Wingard combined with three goals each to account for half of Port Adelaide's 12 goals.
And Port Adelaide wore white.
2) Round 15, 2015.
First Port Adelaide-Collingwood game at Adelaide Oval for 105 years - and the Thursday night national television stage. Again, as in the 2013 elimination final, Port Adelaide led at every change. But in contrast to the 2013 knock-out final, Port Adelaide was not humming in the last quarter. Leading by 11 points at three quarter-time, Port Adelaide extended this margin to 18 with a behind from Robbie Gray and a goal from Chad Wingard in the first five minutes. But there was no more - except from the Port Adelaide defenders, in particular Matthew Broadbent, who had to hold back Collingwood as the margin narrowed to three points with two minutes to play.
Port Adelaide wore its black V jumper.
Symbolic that evening was the unity of the Port Adelaide and Collingwood football communities as they honoured the memory of Phil Walsh. A life member and assistant coach in Port Adelaide’s campaign to the 2004 AFL premiership, Walsh played 22 VFL games in his big-league start at Collingwood in 1983 when he was lauded as the rookie of the year. The light show from the fans as the Adelaide Oval floodlights were dimmed to pay respect to Walsh remains one of the most-emotive moments in sporting history. To quote Bruce McAvaney from the Channel Seven commentary booth: “For a moment, you could think you’re in heaven.”
3) Round 9, 2002.
Friday Night Football at Football Park. And there was all the tension that comes with Port Adelaide-Collingwood matches - and more considering both teams were in a battle to command top-four spots. The anxiety was notable at half-time as Port Adelaide hard man Damien Hardwick took on Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley, followed by Port Adelaide key defender Chad Cornes making a stand against Collingwood key forward Anthony Rocca.
With 22 seconds to play, Rocca has a set shot - directly in front - with his run-up outside 50 at the northern end of Football Park while the scoreboard was showing Port Adelade in front by six points, 91 to 85. Rocca's kick misses over the goalpost to his left leaving the game at five points for Port Adelaide.
Port Adelaide wore a one-off teal jumper.
4) Round 1, 1997.
You never forget your first time do you? First AFL game for premiership points. First AFL game at the MCG. First goal from Shayne Breuer, completing a sweep from deep defence started by Fabrian Francis and captain Matthew Primus. It was the first AFL game for 10 Port Adelaide players - Peter Burgoyne, Stephen Carter, Donald Dickie, Josh Francou, Adam Kingsley, Brendon Lade, Darryl Poole, Damian Squire and the AFL Rising Star winner, Michael Wilson.
Collingwood won by 79 points.
Port Adelaide wore its first "away" jumper - from the back it was quite traditional with the black base, white number panel and black numbers.
5) Round 20, 2011.
Premiership hero Chad Cornes played his 239th and last game for Port Adelaide in a Friday night game at Football Park that marks one of the darkest moments in the dark chapter from 2008-2012. Port Adelaide lost by 138 points - and the concerning events of the night prompted premiership captain Warren Tredrea to leave a radio commentary box at three quarter-time to seek AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou on the telephone to make an appeal to save Port Adelaide from more damage, on and off the field. Just months later, the revival plan was underway.
Port Adelaide wore its black V jumper.
