Australian Football League star Tayla Harris has hit out at vile Twitter trolls who spouted “sexual abuse” at her photograph online. The photo showed Harris kicking a shot as part of her career as a professional AFL player. Twitter trolls on the 7 Network AFL page unleashed a vile tirade of sexually abusive comments in response. “The comments I saw were sexual abuse, if you can call it that, because it was repulsive and it made me uncomfortable,” Harris told RSN radio. “That is what I would consider sexual abuse on social media,” she added. Here’s what you need to know about Tayla Harris. 1. She Began Playing AFL at Just 5 Years Old Harris has certainly launched a hugely successful career at AFL clubs including Carlton. However, her passion for the game began at just 5-years-old. Growing up in the Northern Suburbs of Brisbane, Harris began playing the competitive game for Aspley at five. She played mixed competition games with boys and girls until 2010. Years later, she played senior football for Zillmere in the AFL Queensland Women’s League (QAWFL), where she won the league best and fairest award in her first season. 2. Harris is Also Known For Her Skills in The Ring Alongside her successful AFL career on the footy pitch, Harris is also a force to reckoned with in the boxing ring. She is also a force to be reckoned with in the boxing ring. She has fought 27 rounds and won all but one of her bouts. Despite her success, Harris has yet to settle on a “fight name” — opting instead for a symbol. “You need to maybe earn one, just like a nickname at footy, you need to do something really before you get one … so I decided a symbol,” Harris said in a 2018 interview. “I want the lightning bolt to be my symbol so … I got it tattooed on my head, behind my ear, so I’m committed,” she added. 3. However, She Avoids Ringside Trash Talk Despite her skills inside the boxing ring, Harris has said that she avoids the traditional ‘trash-talk’ often associated with the competitive sport. “I just can’t even do it in footy, on the field, I come up with the lamest trash-talk you will ever hear so it is best for everyone that I don’t,” Harris said in a 2018 interview with the Herald Sun. “I’ve never been one for name-calling or starting any pre-fight (sledging),” she added. 4. AFL Sources Claim That Some of Those Who Abused Harris Are Fellow Footy Players In a further twist, Australian outlet, The New Daily, found that many of those who abused Harris and other female AFL stars, were themselves AFL players. “One comment on a spectacular action shot of Harris mid-kick referred to her genitals and came from the account of a former player from the Ringwood area who is now believed to be playing in a Yarra Ranges league in Melbourne’s east.”, according to the newspaper. 5. Harris Has Received An Outpouring Of Support Since Speaking Out THANKYOU!! Everyone who messaged, posted, commented and shared recently. Things have changed… if you’re not with us, you will be left behind. pic.twitter.com/9wqkvskPDV — Tayla Harris (@taylaharriss) March 20, 2019 Harris’s comments made a splash in the Australian and international media with many joining the 21-year-old athlete in her condemnation. Many took to the star’s Instagram page to express their solidarity. One said: “Speaking as a sports fan, as a father of a young daughter, as a human being: Dedication to the game and 100% energy, this is what I want to see in all sports, this is what young players need for inspiration, this is where a player differs from a want to be player. One of the top athletic pictures ever! Haters will be sorry.” Meanwhile, another added: “These weak ass keyboard warriors need to grow some balls. We need to embrace women in sport. We work bloody hard. Go @tayla_harris” She later thanked those who posted their support for her plight in a Twitter post. Meanwhile 7AFL, the broadcaster that originally posted and later deleted the photo also apologized for ‘sending the wrong message’ rather than tackling the internet trolls.<doc-sep>The social media reaction to a photo of Carlton AFLW star Tayla Harris in action has led to a show of support from many in the football community. AFL photographer Michael Willson snapped the pic during the Blues' three-point final round win over the Bulldogs on Sunday. The picture shows Harris with both feet off the ground in the midst of her trademark follow through. MORE: Max Gawn comments on mental health amid Jesse Hogan rumours The official AFLW Twitter account shared the photo on Sunday, with 7AFL posting it on Tuesday. 7AFL subsequently deleted the image, citing "inappropriate and offensive" comments in the replies. Many of the replies to that post suggested the photo wasn't the problem, with several high-profile football personalities sharing the picture in support of Harris and women's football. Geelong superstar and Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield posted it with the caption "#Fthehaters". Harris herself reshared the picture, along with a message for the trolls. "Here’s a pic of me at work... think about this before your derogatory comments, animals," Harris tweeted. Here’s a pic of me at work... think about this before your derogatory comments, animals. pic.twitter.com/68aBVVbTTj — Tayla Harris (@taylaharriss) March 19, 2019 Harris' teammate and AFLW star Darcy Vescio also posted the snap, saying that removing the tweet was giving in to the trolls. "Deleting the post is giving in to trolls," Vescio wrote. "Also, you’re eliminating all the positive conversation. "Also, you’re removing more content around women in sport - which there’s already so little of. It’s up to everyone to moderate hate." Deleting the post is giving in to trolls. Also, you’re eliminating all the positive conversation. Also, you’re removing more content around women in sport - which there’s already so little of. It’s up to everyone to moderate hate.#taylaharris 📷 @MichaelCWillson pic.twitter.com/CRkYDrZpQK — Darcy Vescio (@darcyvee) March 19, 2019 Broadcasters Gerard Whateley, Neroli Meadows and Stephen Quartermain, as well as cycling legend Anna Meares were just some of many to throw their support behind the key forward on Tuesday evening. The official AFL account also retweeted AFLW's post on Tuesday night. Willson later posted the complete series from which the picture came from. Later on Tuesday night, 7AFL reposted the image, and also pinned it to the top of their Twitter account. "We're sorry. Removing the photo sent the wrong message," the post read. "Many of the comments made on the post were reprehensible & we'll work harder to ban trolls from our pages. Our intention was to highlight @taylaharriss incredible athleticism & we'll continue to celebrate women's footy." We're sorry. Removing the photo sent the wrong message. Many of the comments made on the post were reprehensible & we'll work harder to ban trolls from our pages. Our intention was to highlight @taylaharriss incredible athleticism & we'll continue to celebrate women's footy. pic.twitter.com/p24Ll08LRC — 7AFL (@7AFL) March 19, 2019 Harris' Blues topped conference B after the regular season, setting up a preliminary final clash against Fremantle at Princes Park on Saturday afternoon.<doc-sep>The now-famous photo of AFLW player Tayla Harris could become a landmark moment in Australian sport, according to the photographer who snapped the image. Key points: The photographer hopes the reaction to the image marks a "line in the sand" The photographer hopes the reaction to the image marks a "line in the sand" Parallels have been drawn with the famous image of Nicky Winmar defying racist taunts Parallels have been drawn with the famous image of Nicky Winmar defying racist taunts Moderators of social media pages are being urged to take strong action against trolls "I think we'll look back on this moment and hopefully it's a line-in-the-sand moment where we take a stand against these online bullies," photographer Michael Willson said. "Women especially shouldn't have to put up with derogatory comments and negative feedback just because you've got these keyboard warriors out there who think they can hide behind their screens." Willson's photo captures Harris kicking the opening goal for Carlton during Sunday's match against the Western Bulldogs. The image was posted on the Seven Network's social media accounts, where it was swamped by misogynistic online trolls. The network deleted the image, but then re-posted it with an apology, after a torrent of protest. Harris said she felt she had been subjected to "sexual abuse on social media" through the comments and was worried about how the people who made them were behaving in their private lives. Willson said Seven made the "wrong call" by taking the photo down. "I think it's important to remember that these people, these trolls they're just the minority and we can't let them dictate what should or shouldn't be published," he said. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 9 seconds 1 m 9 s Tayla Harris says trolls have — at the very least — started a conversation "I just want people to see that photograph and be blown away by the athleticism. It doesn't matter that it's a man or a woman — it's just a beautiful football photo." Willson said the power of the image lies not only in what's contained within the frame, but also in the response it provoked. "The positive to come out of it was the whole AFL community rallying online, which is very rare, coming together to support Tayla, and to just take a stand against these trolls," he said. Social media a 'double-edged sword' for female athletes The photo of Tayla Harris drew comparisons with a famous mid-air snap of former VFL/AFL player Ted Whitten. ( Twitter: Michael Rowland Sociologist Kim Toffoletti from Deakin University said the impact of the photo needed to be understood in the context of women making inroads into the male-dominated world of professional AFL. "The AFL is one of our national sports, it's at the cultural centre, and there's still a strong association with AFL and masculinity," she said. Dr Toffoletti said the photo belongs to a rich tradition of sports images which trigger debate about broader social issues — for example, the famous photo of Aboriginal footballer Nicky Winmar responding to racial taunts from Collingwood supporters in 1993. Nicky Winmar's response became a powerful symbol of defiance against racism. ( Supplied: Wayne Ludbey "The [Harris] photo speaks to a wider moment in our culture, where we are seeing female empowerment," she said. Dr Toffoletti said the online trolling of the image shows social media remains a "double-edged sword" for women athletes, providing greater prominence and visibility, but also exposing them to various forms of online abuse. "Even though the representation of women in sport might be changing towards more positive images of active and dynamic sportswomen, there's still a section of society who are resistant to it and in fact, hostile to it," she said. "Moderators on social media pages need to recognise this for what it is — it's not neutral opinion, it's harassment and they need to stop it." In recent years, sporting codes have used CCTV, telephone hotlines and other measures to crack down on anti-social behaviour at venues. Dr Toffoletti said similar efforts needed to be made in the online space. "This is a social space, just like a football field is a social space — this is where sports experience happens for so many people," she said. "Sports organisations need to take a much more active role and send a really strong message that this [abuse] won't be tolerated."<doc-sep>Photo : Michael Willson/AFL Media ( Getty Images ) Australian rules football is dealing with quite the kerfuffle this week after a network gave in to the creeps who left nasty comments on a photo of Carlton footballer Tayla Harris as she kicked a goal in Sunday’s match against the Western Bulldogs. Advertisement Here’s a sampling of what those comments looked like. For context, Hannah Mouncey is an Australian handball player who is trans: Instead of getting rid of the sexist remarks, Channel Seven AFL chose to simply delete the photo of Harris in hopes that all the trolls would go away. This was the coward’s way out. As Kasey Symons argued in the Guardian, there was nothing wrong with the photo. It was an athlete performing an athletic action, and an impressive one at that. The problem was the people leaving vile comments about her crotch, and they could’ve easily been banned or had their words deleted. Removing the photo punished the subject of the abuse, without deterring those who dealt it out. In response to Channel Seven, many people defended Harris and shared the photo, including Harris herself: Advertisement Advertisement “That photo is inspirational; it shows the majesty of sport encapsulated in a single, brilliant frame,” former AFLer Brandon Jack wrote in support of Harris in the Sydney Morning Herald. Advertisement A few hours later, Channel Seven reposted the photo with an apology to Harris, and a vow to be more diligent in removing sexist comments: Advertisement Harris gave her thoughts on the comments in an interview: “The comments I saw were sexual abuse, if you can call it that, because it was repulsive and it made me uncomfortable,” Harris told RSN radio. “That is what I would consider sexual abuse on social media.” Advertisement H/t to Michael<doc-sep>
7AFL have caved to widespread condemnation of their decision to remove the iconic photo of AFLW star Tayla Harris from their Twitter account. The photo of Harris in full flight was snapped by Michael Willson during Carlton's thrilling win over Western Bulldogs over the weekend. The official AFLW Twitter account shared the photo on Sunday, before 7AFL posted it on Tuesday. However, "inappropriate" social media reaction to the photo prompted 7AFL to remove it from their account. #GoTaylaGo: Tayla Harris photo sparks passionate social media response "Recently we published an image of AFLW player Tayla Harris. The original purpose in publishing the image was to celebrate power, athleticism and skills on show in Carlton's thrilling win over the Western Bulldogs," 7AFL wrote. "The image attracted a number of comments, some of which were inappropriate and offensive. As a consequence we have removed the image and the comments." However, 7AFL's move was widely condemned - notably, Harris' Carlton teammate and AFLW star Darcy Vescio - who wrote a stirring piece to the Herald Sun in February regarding online trolls - suggested that removing the tweet was "giving in to the trolls". "You’re eliminating all the positive conversation," Vescio wrote. "Also, you’re removing more content around women in sport - which there’s already so little of. It’s up to everyone to moderate hate." Deleting the post is giving in to trolls. Also, you’re eliminating all the positive conversation. Also, you’re removing more content around women in sport - which there’s already so little of. It’s up to everyone to moderate hate.#taylaharris 📷 @MichaelCWillson pic.twitter.com/CRkYDrZpQK — Darcy Vescio (@darcyvee) March 19, 2019 After being battered from pillar to post, 7AFL reposted the photo later on Tuesday night, and also pinned it to the top of their Twitter account. Their message was loud and clear. "We're sorry." "Removing the photo sent the wrong message," the post read. "Many of the comments made on the post were reprehensible & we'll work harder to ban trolls from our pages. "Our intention was to highlight @taylaharriss incredible athleticism & we'll continue to celebrate women's footy." We're sorry. Removing the photo sent the wrong message. Many of the comments made on the post were reprehensible & we'll work harder to ban trolls from our pages. Our intention was to highlight @taylaharriss incredible athleticism & we'll continue to celebrate women's footy. pic.twitter.com/p24Ll08LRC — 7AFL (@7AFL) March 19, 2019 Vescio's response was just one of many to suggest that the photo wasn't the problem, and that 7AFL had misread the room. Geelong star and AFLPA president Patrick Dangerfield led the chorus against detractors of the photo, posting it with the caption "#Fthehaters". This is a brilliant athlete in full flight. Something to celebrate. Just over three years ago women did not play Australian Football at the elite level. The result of this leap - a goal from 40m out. @aflwomens @taylaharriss #taylaharris https://t.co/HJsxAYsROD — Nicole Livingstone (@NicLiv) March 19, 2019 I am posting this magnificent photo of Tayla Harris from @aflwomens To support and celebrate a fantastic athlete in full flight. pic.twitter.com/FLUxkSAEnI — Stephen Quartermain (@Quartermain10) March 19, 2019 What utter bone heads @7AFL the comments were the problem not the image. https://t.co/IxIZIvtvkT — Barrie Cassidy (@barriecassidy) March 19, 2019 How this incredible image of Tayla Harris by Michael Willson was; 1- seen as negative and drew trolls to comment and 2- that the @7AFL took it down as a result... ASTOUNDS ME! So I’m sharing it proudly! #GoTaylaGo #womeninsport pic.twitter.com/ErrdVOwskI — Anna Meares (@AnnaMeares) March 19, 2019 All of us at @NRL @WRugbyLeague stand shoulder to shoulder with our counterparts at @AFL @aflwomens to promote & support all female athletes & pathways irrelevant of what sport they choose to play. We are all making great progress & must advocate for each other along the journey! https://t.co/EyQWGOEQcn — Todd Greenberg (@Todd_Greenberg) March 19, 2019 Here’s a photo of me in full flight..... I think @taylaharriss may have done it with more athleticism and poise.... pic.twitter.com/ARrSGBHOIG — Alyssa Healy (@ahealy77) March 19, 2019 On Wednesday morning, Harris responded to the outpouring of support from the footy community, and suggested 7AFL's initial decision to remove the photo was the wrong move. "I'm feeling empowered this morning because of the reaction that has come, so it has been a bit of a whirlwind," she said. "I've seen all of it, I've seen the comments...