Sports star Tayla Harris reveals family’s Covid heartache and trolling nightmare in new doco

AFLW and boxing champion Tayla Harris wants a new documentary about her life to be a platform for the power of determination when the going gets tough.

Tayla Harris thought she’d have cameras in her face 24/7 like she was one of the stars of her favourite guilty pleasure shows The Kardashians when she signed up to have a documentary made about her life.

Fortunately it was far less intrusive for Harris, but there was still unprecedented access into the life of the AFLW star and boxing champion for the latest Prime Video original Kick Like Tayla.

Both Tayla and her inner circle – including partner Kodi Jacques, and her mum and dad, speak candidly about how she has chosen to use her platform as a power for good.

One of the most recognisable faces of the AFLW, the 25-year-old became the leading figure in women’s footy for taking a stance in 2019 against online trolls who targeted a photo of her in full flight.

Her dad shows off her childhood bedroom, jam-packed with medals, trophies and awards from her career. And while they are justifiably proud of her achievements, they’re more chuffed she’s kind. That’s how they raised their kids. Although she laughs in the doco as she admits it’s sometimes tricky to be kind in the boxing ring.

And happy – they just wanted her to be happy.

“Mum and dad would be happy if I was the social netball champion or where I’m at,” Tayla says. “They’re just happy for me to be happy and try my best and whatever that results in is good for us and our family.

“That’s also what I try and bestow on other people.”

AFLW star Tayla Harris.

She’s quick to explain that the doco wasn’t ever about trying to explain what went on behind the scenes after that photo as published.

“If that’s one of the results of this coming out, that’s fine,” Harris says.

“But I did this whole thing to try – hopefully in a positive way – to inspire anyone. Younger or older. It could be in sport or just being active.

“But really I am happy for it to be about just be happy being yourself and that being nice to people gets you a long way.”

Harris is absolutely nice as we chat over Zoom, a framed copy of Theodore Roosevelt’s famous The Man In the Arena speech fittingly hanging in the background – but of course it’s been changed to The Woman In the Arena. “It is not the critic who counts; not the woman who points out how the strong woman stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Tayla Harris kicks during a training session with the Melbourne Demons. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

And she truly lives this mantra. Despite facing some of the most vicious trolling, Harris genuinely doesn’t care for people’s opinions of her.

“Honestly sport is so fickle that one minute things are great and next minute you do something and everyone thinks you’re the worst player ever,” Harris shares.

“If I were to let people’s opinions impact me I would not be playing anymore.

“I don’t care for what people think about my ability – good or bad.

“You could think I’m the best thing that has ever happened and I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t take it on board so much that it impacts on me.

“My coaches, my teammates, my family and my friends – they’re the ones that I certainly take advice on board what they think.

“More that if they believe I could be doing more or do better, then I’ll step back and think how can I do that.”

Tayla Harris was pleased the documentary captured a memorable reunion with her family.

She hasn’t – apart from some early rough edits – actually watched the hour-long doco yet – she’s leaving it to the premiere.

But Tayla’s so happy she’ll have these enduring memories immortalised on film. Especially the moment the crew captured her reuniting with her family in Queensland. She’d been separated from them for months thanks to Melbourne’s extended harsh lockdowns.

“It was so cool to capture that – those memories now I’ve got them for life,” she says.

“I guess you’ve got your iPhone and you film a few things, but for that to be captured … mum and dad were so emotional and so was I. I was just so glad we captured that.”

That was the toughest part of Covid for the tight-knit family.

“It was horrific – again with perspective I completely understand others had it way worse, but in my little world that was the worst thing that could happen.”

Harris has her eyes firmly set on a premiership next season — and she employs her generous spirit when I confess I am in fact a Crows supporter and hope she’s OK that my team has already taken that goal from her twice.

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” she says, with her infectious smile.

Kick Like Tayla, May 27, 2022, Amazon Prime Video

Originally published as Sports star Tayla Harris reveals family’s Covid heartache and trolling nightmare in new doco