The AFL has promised to crackdown on online commentators who posted misogynistic and abusive comments on a picture of Carlton AFLW star Tayla Harris. The game's Integrity Unit has announced the online trolls face having their MCC membership stripped, their club membership stripped and being banned from future AFL games. The furore comes after a photo of Ms Harris was taken down from a Channel Seven social media page after it attracted a slew of offensive, sexist comments. The AFLW star told reporters she thought it was important she 'speaks out' against online sexual harassment. The AFL has promised to crackdown on online commentators who posted misogynistic and abusive comments on a picture of Carlton AFLW star Tayla Harris. The game's Integrity Unit... To say the Tayla Harris photo controversy caused a storm in Australia would be a severe understatement. After becoming the target for a number of social media trolls commenting on an image of her punting a goal, the 21-year-old has more or less become an overnight icon for women’s sport. Support rained in around Australia for the rising footy star after she went public in condemning the trolls. “Some of the comments were sexual abuse, what I would consider sexual abuse on social media,” she said. “These people need to be called out by the AFL, but something needs to go further. It’s something maybe Victoria Police have to look at.” The US even jumped on the hype, publishing articles about the captivating issue on Thursday. However meaningful, they were all dwarfed by this superfan this morning. A Crows superfan by the name of Blake, helped along by the folks at Mix 102.3 Adelaide, immortalised the iconic image on himself with a tattoo on his forearm. Dedication is an understatement here. There’s a Ken Hinkley tattoo doing the rounds, so we gave @Adelaide_FC superfan Blake some Don Pyke ink this morning on @Mix1023 He also decided to support @taylaharriss while he was at it Well played Blake!!! pic.twitter.com/WgMCyie20w — Mark Soderstrom (@Mark_Soda) March 20, 2019 Prime Minister Scott Morrison labelled the trolls “cowardly grubs” on Thursday morning. “They’re nothing new unfortunately. They’re cowards, they’re weak. They’re acting out some sort of hatred in a way that lessens people. We should treat them as the grubs they are.” Channel Seven controversially pulled down the photo after it attracted offensive comments from online trolls. The network later re-posted the picture and offered an apology after Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer said she was “disgusted” by the ordeal. “Im disgusted by the trolling that has taken place. In fact I was pretty frankly, disgusted, by Channel 7’s response in actually taking down her picture rather than dealing with the trolls,” Mrs O’Dwyer said via Channel 10. “We need to out these trolls. We need to out these people who would seek to make misogynist comments about women.” “In response to the photo being taken down, I think it’s important to point out that the broadcaster’s immediate response was one of protection,” Carlton chief executive Cain Liddle said. “They recognised that error.” Earlier on Wednesday, Harris described the comments as “sexual abuse” in an interview on RSN. AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the problem wasn’t just an issue for Seven, a broadcastpartner of the AFL, or the football code. “It’s more a challenge with the platform, social media, because this is not an isolatedincident,” McLachlan told reporters in Sydney. “But when it’s unacceptable commentary, more and more people are calling that out and that is what has happened here.” “It is, I think, a remarkable photo — it shows a great athlete at her most powerful,” he said. Adelaide’s Erin Phillips, considered the AFLW’s best player, was among a host of athletes dismayed at some online responses. “There is a lot of trolls that get away with things that shouldn’t be allowed,” Phillips told reporters in Adelaide. “But in saying that, what a fantastic response from the community to get behind Tayla. “It has empowered her. And it has shown to the community, to Australia, that it’s unacceptable to troll and put people down.”<doc-sep>That stunning action shot of Carlton AFLW legend Tayla Harris has now been immortalised in ink after a footy fan got the photo tattooed on his arm. Seaford Meadows bloke Blake Griffiths had originally been in the Mix102.3 studio to get a tattoo of Adelaide Crows coach Dan Pyke on his arm, inspired by the David Bowie-themed Ken Hinkley tattoo that did the rounds on social media last week. But, since he was already in the studio, hosts Jodie and Soda asked if Griffiths would like another tattoo – of Harris – on his other arm. Griffith’s “couldn’t be happier” to get the tatt – even though he’s a Crows supporter – and said he’s looking forward to showing off his new ink while serving beers at his pub in Aldinga. There’s a Ken Hinkley tattoo doing the rounds, so we gave @Adelaide_FC superfan Blake some Don Pyke ink this morning on @Mix1023 He also decided to support @taylaharriss while he was at it Well played Blake!!! pic.twitter.com/WgMCyie20w — Mark Soderstrom (@Mark_Soda) March 20, 2019 Earlier this week, after a string of disgusting comments, the AFL decided to pull the photo of Harris from their social media pages. The organisation’s decision to remove the image, instead of the comments, was heavily criticised by the general public and prominent voices in the AFL community including Patrick Dangerfield. The controversy even went global with The Good Place star Jameela Jamil retweeting Harris’ picture to her feed. 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 The AFL later apologised for deleting the photo and said they would “work harder to ban the trolls from our page.” Speaking at Ikon Park on Wednesday, Harris said: “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.” On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the trolls “cowardly grubs, who need to wake up to themselves.” Harris has since thanked her supporters for their positive messages adding “things have changed… if you’re not with us, you will be left behind.” 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<doc-sep>AUSSIE Rules star Tayla Harris has been warned not to walk the streets alone at night after being "sexually abused" by online trolls - while one fan has shown his support by getting a tattoo of her. Harris, 21, has received widespread backing from high-profile figures in Australia, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison, since calling out "animals" who made repulsive comments online about a picture of her in action. 4 Aussie Rules superfan Blake Griffiths has got a tattoo of the Tayla Harris action shot on his arm Credit: Twitter @Mark_Soda 4 This picture went viral after Harris called out trolls on social media for "repulsive" sexual comments Credit: Getty Images - Getty Australian broadcaster Channel Seven had posted a picture of Harris performing a high kick with the caption: "Great athlete at her most powerful." A series of vile comments were then made, leading Harris to hit back on social media on Tuesday and reveal she felt "sexually abused" by them. Aussie Rules superfan Blake Griffiths - who supports Adelaide Crows rather than Harris' side Carlton - decided to get the tattoo done to show solidarity with Harris and raise awareness of online trolling and its effects. He told Sunrise in Australia: "The tattoo is definitely a good cause kind of thing. To all the trolls, just bugger off. Get a life. "I haven’t heard from Tayla but I would love to speak to her, that would be awesome." But while support has flooded in, Harris' boxing coach had a stern message for her. Harris is one 20 women who train at Murphy's Boxing Gym in Surrey Hills in Melbourne under the guidance of Gerry Murphy, balancing her AFLW career with being a professional boxer on the brink of a world title fight. WARNING Despite her ability to take on men of similar size and weight inside the ring, Murphy is now concerned about Harris' safety in public. He told Wide World of Sports: "She’s a freak, an absolute freak as far as physical ability goes. Very strong. A strong-willed girl. Nice girl. Very intelligent and for her age, quite worldly. "There’s guys that have had four, five, six fights that can’t hold up with her, at the same weight. She beats them. "Your average Joe Blow she’d deal with quite easily. Tayla can hit as hard as some of my top amateur fighters. "She’s very courageous. She’s the sort of girl who can take a punch and it doesn’t faze her when she gets hit. She doesn’t panic, which a lot of males and females do. She doesn’t at all." Murphy added: "I did speak to her [Wednesday] night and just said with these idiots sexualising her picture and whatever, that she just has to be very, very careful when she’s on her own. I said that you’ve got to be extra vigilant now because of that. It’s unfortunate, but she has to be very careful. The biggest worry is you just don’t know where an idiot can come from. Gerry Murphy, Tayla Harris' boxing coach "Make sure she doesn’t really go out on the street on her own, anything like that, because unfortunately it brings out the nutters. People get obsessed with things like that. I said that you’ve got to be extra vigilant now because of that. It’s unfortunate, but she has to be very careful. "The biggest worry is you just don’t know where an idiot can come from. You get these people, for whatever reason, and it can become a problem. "I said don’t be alarmed, but you’ve got to be vigilant, especially if you go into a park or on the street on your own. You’ve got to have someone with you. At least for a couple of months." Mark Soderstrom - a former Aussie Rules footballer who now presents TV and radio shows - has showed his support for Harris this week. As well as talking to Griffiths about his tattoo and getting a photo alongside Jodie & Soda colleague Jodie Oddy, he also shared Tayla Harris #standwithtayla T-shirts being sold by League Tees. The tops have the now-famous image splashed across the front and can be bought on the website for $29 (£22), with all profits going to Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation. 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"Our friend Rebecca Hayne suggested we should turn it into a new NBA-style logo for the league. "It’s a spectacular image capturing an elite female athlete at her peak. Hopefully it become an iconic image and a turning point for the women’s league." 4 Griffiths with Jodie & Soda pair Jodie Oddy and Mark Soderstrom after getting the inking done Credit: Twitter @Mark_Soda 4 League Tees are now producing t-shirts with the famous shot across the front with profits going to charity Credit: League Tees<doc-sep>
Already an iconic AFLW photo, Tayla Harris’s kicking action has now been immortalised in tattoo form. Incredibly, it’s on the body of an Adelaide Crows supporter! Channel 7 presenter Mark Soderstrom unveiled the tattoo on the arm of Blake Griffiths on Thursday morning. The Crows fan originally teamed up with Soderstrom to get a tattoo of Adelaide coach Don Pyke in response to a Port Adelaide supporter’s Ken Hinkley ink: Got a tattoo of my lord and saviour, Ken Hinkley, Aladdin Sane style. @PAFC 🍐 pic.twitter.com/ap2MpdYbba — bek. (@bekwayfarer) March 15, 2019 But as Soderstrom explained, the footy lover couldn’t resist appreciating the Harris photo. “Crows superfan Blake came into Mix (radio station) this morning to show his love for Adelaide,” he tweeted. “While he was at it, he decided to support Tayla Harris too. Nice work, Blake!” Crows superfan Blake came into ⁦@Mix1023⁩ this morning to show his love for ⁦@Adelaide_FC⁩ While he was at it, he decided to support ⁦@taylaharriss⁩ too Nice work Blake! Artist: Aleisha https://t.co/3BlH3K1yIb pic.twitter.com/x2v3R5SyMG — Mark Soderstrom (@Mark_Soda) March 20, 2019 The tattoo might come back to bite the Crows supporter, however. This weekend Carlton and Adelaide will play off against Fremantle and Geelong respectively for a spot in the AFLW grand final. Story continues ‘Rocked an entire country’ The controversy surrounding the disgusting treatment of Tayla Harris has made headlines around the world. On Wednesday, the story had been picked up by publications in America, Canada and the UK. The New York Post’s website featured the story on its home page, with the headline ‘The story behind the sports photo that has rocked an entire country’. The New York Post’s front page. On Thursday morning, it was the most-read story on the site. Image: New York Post The story was also featured by the Irish Times and the Evening Standard in the UK. “This isn’t about these athletes not being able to handle criticism. It is not about the right to voice opinions about the game,” wrote Kasey Symons in the Irish Times. “These comments are not criticism. They are not about the game. They are misogynist, targeted attacks that strip the power from these athletes who put their bodies on the line to play the game they love. “Their bodies are then reduced to abhorrent and unmoderated comments of people whose power is elevated when they cause change in this way.” The incredible pic. Image: Getty Harris hopes stand will spark change It would have been easier for Tayla Harris to ignore the vile online responses to the picture of her kicking for goal, but she didn’t. And she hopes her stand will be the catalyst for change. “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 at Ikon Park on Wednesday. “I’m fine with people commenting on and critiquing my football, I understand that is the football beast, but it’s the comments that are severely inappropriate, comments that my family will read. “… The support that has come from this has been phenomenal. “I think that has shut down anyone who would have made a comment … I hope they’d be thinking ‘I’ve mucked up here’ and hopefully they won’t do it again. Tayla Harris speaks during a press conference at Ikon Park. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images) “That’s all you can really ask.” Earlier on Wednesday, Harris described the comments as “sexual abuse” in an interview on RSN. Federal Minister for Women Kelly O’Dwyer said she was “disgusted” by the trolling. “We need to out these trolls. We need to out these people who would seek to make misogynist comments about women,” O’Dwyer told reporters in Melbourne. AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the problem wasn’t just an issue for Seven, a broadcast partner of the AFL, or the football code. “It’s more a challenge with the platform, social media, because this is not an isolated incident,” McLachlan told reporters in Sydney. “But when it’s unacceptable commentary, more and more people are calling that out and that is what has happened here.” with AAP