AFLW STAR’S BLAST:
HOW ONE GREAT PHOTO EXPOSED FOOTY’S SCUM
TAYLA Harris wanted the photograph taken.
She spoke to the snapper, the AFL’s Michael Willson, before the game on Saturday and asked him to capture the moment: full extension of the leg, high off the ground, body slightly twisted, eyes on the delivery. It is now a moment in time. Not only is it a symbol of staggering athleticism and panache from one of the game’s most spectacular players, it has become a symbol of power, acceptance and inclusion.
This is a wonderful football photograph.
Yet, some members of society do not see it like that.
Social media first lit up when the photograph was posted on Twitter on Sunday night under the slogan, “You kick like a girl’’.
It was retweeted because it was astonishing athleticism.
I was lucky enough to speak to Harris at the Fox Footy season launch on Monday. She had quite the audience. Nick Riewoldt and Harris had a chinwag. Two blonde types who played in the same position with the same flair and agility.
It seemed everyone was talking about “the kick’’.
Over the next 24 hours, widespread admiration on social media was infiltrated by disgust and delinquency. So much so, Channel 7 took down a Facebook post because of the vile comments posted about the photo. AFLPA boss Paul Marsh was furious.
“AFLW finals week and sadly we are dealing with another example of vile abuse of our players on social media. This is a daily occurrence. Time for people to celebrate our players, not troll them. As an industry we need to work together to crack down on this behaviour,’’ he tweeted.
He posted some of the comments that disgusted him.
As much as they are gutter and puerile comments, “the kick’’ surely is a symbol for all of us to say: No more.
Harris posted the photo on Tuesday with the words — “Here’s a pic of me at work … think about this before your derogatory comments, animals.”
The social media world, and Harris speaking at a press conference yesterday afternoon, have lashed the trolls.
“If I didn’t call it out, these people think it’s all right,” Harris said.
“If there’s ever a point where on social media there’s sexual assault, I think it’s that ... it was obviously quite graphic. Just consider that people are affected. It’s not just me, it’s my mum and dad — my grandparents called me.”
Tayla Harris and the Blues will face Fremantle in an AFLW preliminary final on Saturday.
Hopefully, it can be learning experience for the small-minded out there that this is unacceptable.
Clearly, it will be a learning experience for Channel 7.
They took down the photo yesterday because of the vile comments and then reinstated it last late night and have issued an apology.
Instead of taking down “the kick”, the network should have deleted the negative comments.
They know they made a mistake and corrected it.
If I didn’t call it out, these people think it’s all right. If there’s ever a point where on social media there’s sexual assault, I think it’s that. It’s not just me, it’s my mum and dad — my grandparents called me.
— TAYLA HARRIS