Mar 20th, 2019

Mar 20th, 2019

The internet trolls who launched a vile, sexist attack on a stunning photo of AFLW star Tayla Harris kicking a 40-metre goal feel “threatened by female athletes and women’s sport” says Australian netball legend Liz Ellis.

The Australian sporting community was left shocked after a photo taken of Harris during her side’s final round match against the Western Bulldogs was pulled down off 7AFL’s social media accounts after attracting a wave of “inappropriate and offensive” comments.

While the outpouring of support for the Carlton star, not only from the AFL community but across the wider sporting spectrum, has been “heartening” for Ellis, she remained at a loss as to why an “insecure” few hold a “misguided notion” that women succeeding in sport must come at the expense of others.

“It doesn’t surprise me when this stuff happens because I think there is a misguided perception out there that if women’s sport is doing well then someone else has to be missing out,” Ellis exclusively told Wide World of Sports.

Tayla Harris stars for Carlton FC (Getty)

“There’s people who simply feel threatened by female athletes and women’s sport. But the fact of the matter is AFLW has led to more women enjoying footy as participants, I don’t see how that could be a bad thing.”

Ellis said she was “shattered” when a powerful photo she had shown to her daughter captioned ‘Kick like a girl’ not 48-hours earlier had deteriorated into what had become a sobering insight into the needless challenges still faced by women in sport.

“The first time I saw the picture I thought ‘god that’s just magnificent’ and I actually took it and showed my little girl and she thought it was awesome too because we’re always talking to her about being fit and strong and that photo to me really encompassed all of that,” she said.

“And then, to be honest, I was just shattered that this is where it got to … to see it deteriorate over 48 hours into what it’s become was really disheartening.

Uproar over AFLW star's amazing photo

“When people write that sort of stuff, it says far more about them than it does about Tayla or any other female athlete - it’s just sad; I have enormous pity for them.”

After initially choosing to remove the photo, 7AFL later re-uploaded it after they were criticised for playing into the hands of “some fairly low-life knuckle draggers”. Ellis expressed her regret over Harris having to “deal with this rubbish” but saw a silver lining in how the story developed.

“The backlash against that rubbish was so heartening because it came from across the spectrum; young, old, male and female,” Ellis said.

“You know I think we’re beyond questioning the legitimacy and the place of female athletes, so it’s really about trying to educate people now and having them understand that women in sport isn’t a win-lose situation, it’s actually a situation where everybody wins.”

Ellis celebrated the education and appreciation that has flowed from an attack on female athletes, choosing to find the “good” in what was a “sad” situation.

“Probably more people saw the photo than otherwise would have if either the comments would have been moderated and taken down or if the photo was never taken down, so I guess the outcome is good,” she said.

That view was echoed by Australian rugby union legend Peter FitzSimons who believed a great opportunity now existed for the AFLW to strengthen their game.

Harris speaks out on photo trolls

“That is not just a good photo, that is a great photo,” FitzSimons said.

“Geeze, what an advertisement for women’s football. The sheer athleticism and sporting glory.

“If I were to pick an image for women’s football that is the image I would put on, that is an iconic shot and congratulations to her.”