Barbs fly over comments

Magpies defender apologises for ‘useless’ remark

AFLW: THE apology, the acceptance and then a cryptic Instagram post.

Collingwood defender Stacey Livingstone reached out to Carlton counterpart Tayla Harris on Sunday night after labelling her “useless” at ground level earlier that day.

But Harris took aim at commentary surrounding her game soon after with a pointed post on social media. “A lion doesn’t lose sleep over the opinion of sheep,” she posted yesterday, later clarifying that the quote was directed at commentary surrounding the issue, not Livingstone.

Livingstone set AFLW alight on Sunday with her dramatic post-match comments – which were doubled down in the press conference – that Harris becomes “useless” once she is stopped in the air.

She apologised via a phone call to the Blues forward, who accepted and said she considered the matter dealt with.

“I’m really not fazed by it,” Harris said. “She’s apologised, so I don’t want to add useless commentary.”

Livingstone, 32, yesterday admitted she could have “chosen my words better” but reiterated her view about the way she believed Harris played.

“But I do feel if you take her out of the air contest somehow then you should have her covered,” Livingstone said on Triple M.

Champion Data statistics indicate that Harris – who leads the competition for contested marks – sits equal 21st on the list of the top 25 forwards in AFLW for ground balls won inside 50 over her 21game career.

Blues coach Daniel Harford – who served as assistant coach at Collingwood before his tenure at Carlton began – said yesterday morning that Livingstone’s comment simply “doesn’t stack up”.

“Anyone who’s seen Tayla play would know that … the detail of the conversation and the comment from Stacey doesn’t stack up,” he said on RSN. “Tayla’s more than capable when the ball is on the ground.”

Harford said he believed Livingstone went in with the exact plan to deprive Harris of the ball in the air.