This won’t be the first time that gross internet men have tried their best to ruin everything for everyone and it certainly won’t be the last, but people are rallying behind Carlton AFLW player Tayla Harris after 7AFL removed an image of her from their Facebook and Twitter accounts due to people being insanely fucking gross in the comments.
The picture in question — a snap from AFL photographer Michael Wilson of Harris in the middle of being an incredible athlete at a match against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday — is this one:
Here’s a pic of me at work… think about this before your derogatory comments, animals. pic.twitter.com/68aBVVbTTj
— Tayla Harris (@tayla_harris7) March 19, 2019
I’m not going to rehash what the comments were here, but they were enough for 7AFL to decide to take down the image, in lieu of moderating the comments. In a short statement, they said that the purpose of the image was to “celebrate the power, athleticism and skills on show” in the match, but that they had now taken it down: “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.”
In response, people started reposting the image themselves:
there’s a thousand mediocre dudes but there’s only one Tayla Harris pic.twitter.com/Jemqeryb0p
— andie (@anndeejam) 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
🙌🏻🙌🏻💪🏻💪🏻 #Fthehaters pic.twitter.com/wkaGFzncZ2
— Patrick Dangerfield (@dangerfield35) 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
Others specifically criticised 7AFL’s decision to delete the image, instead of just the comments:
https://twitter.com/breejade85/status/1107938611607957509
The photo was not the problem
— Deirdre (@figgled) March 19, 2019
the comments were inappropriate and offensive, not the photo.
— Brodie Lancaster (@brodielancaster) 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
The 2019 AFLW season kicked off at the start of last month.
