AFLW great Tayla Harris has revisited the social media storm from seven years ago, revealing the moment and her response helped shape who she is today.
In 2019, an iconic photo of Harris kicking for goal became the target of social media trolls, who left sexist and derogatory comments.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tayla Harris revisits iconic photo storm on Unfiltered
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Harris posted the picture herself with the caption: “Here’s a pic of me at work … think about this before your derogatory comments, animals”.
The incident captured worldwide attention as many threw their support behind Harris and condemned the trolling.
Speaking to Hamish McLachlan on Unfiltered, Harris said she was “proud” of how she handled it.
“It was really obviously challenging in several different ways but it was an opportunity that I grew immensely from,” she said.
“It was a interesting time of my life obviously but one that I am proud of and that I look back on fondly.”
Harris went into detail about how she first realised the photo was attracting derogatory comments.
“I found out because after the game obviously after every game like you get on social media and I saw this photo Michael (Willson) posted or Channel 7 posted and obviously the photo itself was just me kicking the footy there’s a bunch of those from when I was younger the exact same technique that’s just how I kick so I didn’t think anything of it,” she said.
“And so then I came back to the photo just on Facebook and on Facebook there’s a little preview of the comments and the preview was a comment that was particularly strange, I thought it was alluding to how I looked as opposed to me kicking the footy.
“I mean I’m obviously OK with people’s commentary on how I play and people can have their opinion on if you think I can kick well or not, or my technique is good or not.
“But then it was about how I looked and you know the position I was kicking in and then I felt a bit funny about it and I was like it’s weird thing to say it and then I clicked on more comments and then it just was like a consistent theme of sexualizing me.
“I felt quite vulnerable in this moment because obviously it’s online and all of a sudden people have the opportunity to say whatever they want seemingly with no repercussions.
“I just thought that’s not right and then I saved that photo and then posted it and just wrote the caption because it was what I was thinking and then I just posted it and didn’t think anything of it and went to bed.
“Woke up the next morning to my phone had just completely kicked off and heaps and missed calls. People obviously felt connected and that they resonated to what I had said in the caption and it was a bit of a line in the sand of like you’re right it’s not OK and we’re not gonna deal with this anymore.
“I think yeah that they were targeting me in this photo but generally they were targeting a female athlete executing a kick and then it just kind of it kind of hit me and I was like I have to speak on this that whether I want to or can or should it’s I have to.”
Unfiltered with Tayla Harris, airs 9.30pm Wednesday following The Front Bar on Seven and 7plus Sport.
