Harris has a big win over trolls
TAYLA Harris has thanked her heavyweight supporters after the AFLW star’s call for change which has disarmed internet nasties and fuelled a possible rebrand for the sport.
Harris, 21, has endured a whirlwind 48 hours after a photo of her playing for Carlton had been set upon by online bullies.
She has been strident and selfless in calling out the abuse.
“If I can stand up here and say something about it and start the conversation ... if that helps one person or heaps of people, then that’s what I want to do,” Harris said.
She has succeeded in galvanising support for the causes of de-sexualising images of women in sport and reducing online abuse. Thousands of fans have voiced their support for Harris in the same online forums once populated by abusive men.
Fellow AFLW stars, Matildas captain Sam Kerr and even Prime Minister Scott Morrison have backed Harris on social media and in spoken comments. Kerr took aim at Channel 7, which deleted the picture in response to the online attack, tweeting “The problem was not the photo”, before the broadcaster apologised and reposted the image on social media.
Adelaide captain Erin Phillips led the support from around the league.
“There is a lot of trolls that get away with things that shouldn’t be allowed,” she said.
“But in saying that, what a fantastic response from the community to get behind Tayla ... it has empowered her.”
The AFL has also celebrated Harris’ actions, adopting a silhouette of the image in place of the AFLW logo.