AFLW star Tayla Harris has revealed the horrifying toll of attacks from social media trolls that have become a daily reality for her since a viral photo that captures her kicking motion shot her to fame.
In a trailer for the Amazon Prime documentary Kick Like Tayla, Harris said she continues to receive personal attacks on social media “every day”.
READ MORE: What David Fifita has to do to justify Gold Coast’s $1.25 million contract
READ MORE: Lumumba’s bombshell response to Magpies’ change
READ MORE: ‘Out of gas’ Djokovic collapses in huge upset
“I know what they say. They tell me every day,” she said. “(That) I’m overrated, overpaid, just some girl who got lucky with a photo.
“But they have no idea who I really am.
“I don’t know what I expected with life becoming so public but I thought, if you just try to be kind, people will be kind back to you. The world doesn’t necessarily work that way.
“Now every step I took, or everything I did, was judged.”
The 24-year-old revealed how trolls on social media have impacted her life since she was thrust into the public eye following her famous pose while kicking a Sherrin in 2019.
Harris endured some turbulence at Carlton after starting her AFLW career at Brisbane, and struggled to fulfil her potential as one of the competition’s best players.
She was traded to Melbourne last year after a messy exit from the Blues amid rumours she wasn’t committed at training and was seeking $150,000-a-season.
In the trailer, Harris talks about some of the messages she has received, with one taking aim at the fact she has a statue erected in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
“Pull down the statue,” she said of one of the messages she received.
“Burn her on a stake,” another one read.
“People roasted me for never smiling, and never singing the song. I was like, what do you mean? I’m always smiling. I’m with my best mates, playing footy.”
Harris is in tears in one clip as she admits the constant barrage has taken a toll on her.
“I’m human too,” she said. “So of course it gets to me sometimes.”
Harris returned to her best form this year, kicking a career-high 18 goals and playing a key role in the Demons’ push to the AFLW grand final, in which they fell short against the Adelaide Crows.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
The biggest AFL trade blunders that backfired on teams involved
