Harris’ message makes its mark
Tayla Harris has thanked her heavyweight supporters after the AFLW star’s powerful call for change which has disarmed internet nasties and fuelled a possible rebrand for the sport.
Harris has endured a whirlwind 48 hours after a photo, taken by Michael Wilson, of her playing for Carlton had been set upon by online bullies. The 21-year-old was strident and selfless in calling out the abuse.
One fan, Blake Griffiths, went so far as to have the image tattooed on his right arm.
‘‘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 on Wednesday.
Harris succeeded in galvanising support for the causes of desexualising images of women in sport and reducing online abuse.
Thousands of fans have voiced their support for Harris in the same online forums previously populated by abusive men.
Fellow AFLW stars, Matildas captain Sam Kerr and even Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison have backed Harris on social media and in spoken comments.
Kerr took aim at 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.
Champion cyclist Anna Meares called the image ‘‘incredible’’.
Premiership-winning Adelaide captain Erin Phillips led the support from around the league.
At a media conference on Thursday, the prime minister called the abusers ‘‘cowardly grubs who need to wake up to themselves’’.
The AFL has also celebrated Harris’ actions, adopting a silhouette of the image in place of the AFLW logo.
Harris responded on Thursday by posting her thoughts on Twitter.
‘‘THANKYOU!! Everyone who messaged, posted, commented and shared recently. Things have changed . . . if you’re not with us, you will be left behind,’’ she wrote.