Sexism. An issue that still plagues professional sport in today’s modern society. As professional female sport gains more recognition and attention, so has the issue of sexism is sport and professional sport more specifically. 

 

Sexism is an ongoing issue circling around the world. Here today I am going to go in depth into the social injustices of Sexism in female sport, specifically the AFLW.

​

​

​

​

​

Who is Tayla Harris and what can we learn from her story about how sexism affects the AFLW? You may know her from boxing, footy, or even the amazing kick she did. Tayla Harris is an AFLW player who is signed to Carlton. On the 17th of March, Tayla Harris pulled off an outstanding goal against the Western Bulldogs, kicking from around 50 meters. Kicking a goal from 50 meters out is no walk in the park for any AFL and/or AFLW player, so when this achievement was captured it was obviously going to be displayed. The Instagram account @7AFL posted a photograph of Tayla in full flight whist kicking the ball. The photo showed Tayla’s legs at the point in which they are fully extended in the kicking motion. This post sparked controversy and derogatory comments aimed at Tayla. Sexist slurs were found in the comment section, some referred to Harris’ genitals and some even went as far as calling her a ‘slut’. Many other sexist slurs were based around the opinion that women shouldn’t play sport. After posting the photo of Tayla Harris’ kick, @7AFL took down the photo. This again sparked controversy and overall sent the wrong message to the football community. Later on, @7AFL re-posted the photo again and apologized by saying that “taking down the photo sent the wrong message”.

​

Following the controversies, Tayla Harris came out and did a press conference stating her opinion on the matter. In the conference she stated that the sexist and abusive comments, in her opinion, were a form of sexual abuse. She also went on to say that any online football trolls should be revoked of their team membership if they have one. Many other notable figures in the football community raised their opinions and stated what they thought was right. The former Blues coach, Brendan Bolton stated in a press conference that we as a community should celebrate the outstanding achievements and athleticism of Tayla, instead of putting her down. Another notable figure in AFLW, Erin Phillips, spoke up and told channel nine and many other news outlets that this disappointing situation shouldn’t be tolerated and those who did in fact ‘troll’ Tayla and the photo should be ashamed of what they had done.

​

Online harassment, derogatory terms and sexist slurs are not the only hardships AFLW players are facing. As of 2019, the average salary for a men’s AFL player was up to $371,000, whereas the top female players in the AFLW were only earning around $25,000. This shows inequality in the sport we all love around Australia. Although, the AFL is supposedly trying to bring the pay gap even further down than it once was. Many AFLW players are still saying it is not yet enough, but it is on track and paving a way to equal pay for AFL and AFLW players.

​

​

 

 

 

In my opinion, the efforts made by Tayla Harris to put an end to the overwhelming abusive comments directed towards female football players has actually resulted in a positive change. From the horrible situation she found herself in, it ended up being a massive wake up call to those who were being sexist and abusive towards Tayla Harris and the entire AFLW league. We can only assume that without Tayla speaking out and standing up for herself, we would see hurtful and sexist slurs directed towards the AFLW players of our generation and future female players coming into our beloved sport. Although, we can’t only say that a positive change has resulted from this horrible situation. Time and time again, we as a community see sexist slurs in the comment section of Instagram comments when the AFL or AFLW account posts a photo of a female player. The other efforts from Erin Phillips and Brendan Bolton also shouldn’t go unheard of. They spoke out when not many others did, which shows true courage and that they actually want change to occur. This highlights the importance and/or responsibility of notable figures in their respected popular culture, speaking out on certain social injustices, because of the fact that it can actually cause a substantial positive change.

​

​