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.
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.
Tayla Harris of the Blues. Photo / Getty
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."
Everyone from the New York Post to the Irish Times to the Calgary Sun are carrying the story of the Carlton Blues star's stand against online trolls.
A photo of Harris in full flight posted by Channel 7 was pulled down by the network after it attracted offensive comments. The network later re-posted the picture and offered an apology but not before the photograph became an agent for change.
"This isn't about these athletes not being able to handle criticism. It is not about the right to voice opinions about the game. 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," wrote Kasey Symons in the Irish Times.
"The removal of these posts does not punish the perpetrators. It punishes the people that are the focus of them. By not moderating, blocking and reporting the people behind these keyboards, these athletes begin to learn they are not worth the fight. That message permeates through the corners of society, and the internet, and allows the trolls to continue, leaving the athletes to fight the battle."
In Melbourne, the Herald Sun celebrated Harris — and the photograph — by inserting it in poster form in Thursday's edition.
The brilliance of AFLW star Tayla Harris is captured in this brilliant photo, being celebrated across Australia as The Kick! Get your special poster in tomorrow’s Herald Sun. pic.twitter.com/6RjZgP6Xcs
Harris 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. That's all you can really ask."
Earlier on Wednesday, Harris described the comments as "sexual abuse" in a radio 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."
