TAYLA HARRIS: THE BEST OF SPORT, WORST OF ‘FANS’
Appalling response shows rise of women’s sport still faces challenges
THE Australian sporting community has so far to come.
We, as a collective, have largely celebrated the rise of women’s sports.
For some, it’s an excuse to watch more of that preferred sport – whether that’s the AFLW for Aussie rules fans, the NRLW for rusted-on rugby league supporters, or one of our various, not to mention hugely successful, elite international sides like the Matildas and the Australian women’s cricket team.
For others, arguably the most importantly, it’s opened their eyes to possibility.
The women who battled for decades to play their chosen professionally and were instead left facing closed doors.
The women who are now pursuing a career in their sport, just like men have been able to do for generations.
The girls who are at the very start of their sporting journey, who have the option of building a career and can follow the pathway to the top.
Below all of the good, there still remains a group who will never accept women’s sport – and will shout their displeasure from rooftops, online, and, at times, in the crowd.
The negative response to Michael Willson’s phenomenal shot of Carlton’s Tayla Harris was nothing short of appalling.
Comments – which will not repeated in this column – were downright disgusting.
You’d rarely see similar on a photo of Gary Ablett (junior or senior), Nat Fyfe or Dustin Martin, but because Tayla Harris is female, and sad, mostly male, commenters populate these sections because they think they’re funny, it’s commonplace.
Harris and other female athletes are far too used to this sort of shabby, disrespectful treatment, and are faced with seeing the same, unfunny, disgusting comments every day.
The initial call to remove the image from social media because of those comments was the worst one.
It allowed these fools to win, and proved that, to some, their outdated opinion is held in some regard. Thankfully, the Aussie rules community rallied and, rightfully, has driven home the message that times have changed, and Harris, and her fellow AFLW players, are extremely talented individuals who should be taken seriously.
For those who don’t like what they see in any women’s sport, the message is clear: you don’t have to watch it, you don’t have to tell us you don’t like it, and nobody else wants to know.
YOU’D RARELY SEE SIMILAR (COMMENTS) ON A PHOTO OF GARY ABLETT (JUNIOR OR SENIOR), NAT FYFE OR DUSTIN MARTIN...