Patrick Dangerfield has urged the AFL and Collingwood to bring an end to the annual debate surrounding the Port Adelaide prison bar Guernsey for the betterment of the game.
The Power’s request to wear the strip in the Showdown against Adelaide in round 23 was recently rejected by the Pies, sparking the latest furious salvo from Port president David Koch.
Koch claimed “good nature (had) been played” by Collingwood president Jeff Browne following a recent phone call suggesting the dispute may come to an end.
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But it will now rumble on through to 2023, when the AFL will have a new chief executive in charge following Gillon McLachlan’s departure.
Whether that development aids Port Adelaide’s cause remains to be seen but Dangerfield, who began his career in South Australia with the Adelaide Crows, believes it is time to move on.
“If we profess to be a national competition then being that means that you have to acknowledge and understand the history,” he said on The Field with JJ and Danger.
“Being a national competition means we should acknowledge what those teams have done, even though it was in the SANFL (in Port Adelaide’s case), I think it’s still really important to acknowledge that history.”
Port Adelaide under Koch, in a bid to appease Collingwood, have toned down their desire to wear the prison bars on a more regular basis and instead focus on Showdowns.
“For the sake of one game a year, how are we even – what is the point of arguing this? It’s so inflammatory,” Dangerfield said.
“I just think it’s ridiculous that we’re having this debate.
“It is ridiculous that there should be such a cock-a-hoop over Port Adelaide wearing their prison bar Guernsey.
“They’ve made a huge contribution to the AFL within Australia and more specifically South Australian football.
“Is there anything wrong with acknowledging that for a Showdown once a year? No, there’s not.”
Listen to the full episode of The Field with JJ and Danger below as the guys dive into:
– Dangerfield’s return and how players over 30 are treated
– The AFL’s response to racial abuse against Adam Saad
– Mark McVeigh’s bombshell press conference
– Collingwood’s stunning form in close games
– Aussie domination at the Commonwealth Games
– Mirror on the Media, Three Votes and Joe the Goose
Listen and subscribe to The Field with JJ & Danger via iTunes and Spotify
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