Port Adelaide has reportedly threatened authorized motion over a beer mocking younger gun Jason Horne-Francis’ exit from North Melbourne.
ESPN reported the membership was left sad after a Queensland-based brewery supplied to ship the membership a case of #Icebath Beer, which factors to the 2022 incident when Horne-Francis was stated to refuse an ice bathtub – and was then dropped.
The beer packaging exhibits a caricature of Horne-Francis, sitting in a North Melbourne-coloured ice bathtub and holding a can. Power champion Kane Cornes has persistently used the hashtag #icebath on Twitter whereas discussing the younger star.
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While the beer was initially listed on the market it has since been withdrawn after a tense back-and-forth with the soccer membership.
“The idea behind the beer was for it to be a bit of an ice-breaker for the hot topic which is running amok at the moment in the AFL and on social media,” a spokesperson for Whitelabel Brewing advised ESPN.
“It’s a bit of a tongue-in-cheek look at not being professional, because that was the last straw for North.
“I wasn’t doing this as a way to get back at him. I’m not doing this out of spite, probably the opposite if anything. It was done to try and diffuse the situation between the two supporter groups and the media, and to try and take a bit of the air out of the topic, because I think it has gone a bit too far.”
But an e-mail, reportedly from Power CEO Matthew Richardson, advised the brewery: “This is not lighthearted fun as you put it. The AFL and AFLPA have been informed.
“You should remove any use of Jason’s image immediately and any reference to him. And no, we are not interested in your offer in any way. Please remove this product ASAP. Legal action is pending.”
In a press release the brewery stated: “Unfortunately, Whitelabel Brewing’s planned release of #Icebath Lager has ruffled feathers at Port, with the club threatening legal action against the beer company unless the product was removed.
“The company apologises to Jason Horne-Francis and Port Adelaide if our idea to poke fun at a bizarre situation caused any harm.”
Horne-Francis’ Power face the Kangaroos this weekend in Hobart with the primary draft choose anticipated to be showered with a refrain of boos.
North participant Will Phillips gave his personal supporter base the inexperienced mild to boo Horne-Francis.
“I think it’s understandable if they want to have a boo,” he stated.
“It’s probably unfair for other teams to do that but understandable for the North fans. They’re pretty passionate and for him to leave us like that I can understand if they want to boo.”
Originally printed as Port Adelaide ‘threaten legal action’ over brewery’s mockery of star
Source: www.news.com.au
