The threat to Michael Voss pales in comparison to the vile rubbish WAGs cop every day

The 15-word threat to Michael Voss pales in comparison to the vile, demeaning rubbish many of our WAGs have to endure day in and day out on social media. Try being Bec Judd or Nadia Bartel for a day.

If only our WAGS had the AFL Integrity and Security unit behind them.

No one should receive a “murder threat” a la beleaguered Carlton coach Michael Voss.

But sorry the 15-word threat, what some have even labelled a dumb attempt at humour, sent to the Melbourne Cricket Club’s anti-social behaviour hotline, pales in comparison to the vile, demeaning rubbish many of our WAGs or female Australian talent have to endure day in and day out on social media.

Try being Bec Judd or Nadia Bartel for a day.

“Stunning and brave” many love to glibly retort in the comments section at any mention of the high profile AFL WAGS turned successful businesswomen.

Bec Judd says she’s now in her “zero f***s” era. Picture: Dan Castano

But after decades in the spotlight both have spoken out at having to grow a thick skin at the constant trolling, threats and behaviour that is thrown their way.

Let’s just be clear. We are not talking “dumb humour” either. Some of the vile, toxic messages and threats they receive, often every day of the week, is downright frightening and menacing.

Or take highly acclaimed award-winning journalist Lisa Millar. A Gold Logie nominee this year the ABC presenter was routinely crucified on social media for just doing her job.

She covered front lines in war zones around the world, but the social media frontline or email abuse she had to endure as a co-host on ABC New Breakfast was frankly dismaying.

Interviewing the intelligent and good humoured Millar some years back about the issue I have never forgotten the disgust I felt at some of the angry barrage that she received.

In 2023 the ABC disabled many of its talent and programs social media accounts on Twitter due to its increasingly negative nature.

Former WAG Nadia Bartel has spoken out about the damage caused by negative comments.

Many of the comments these women cop are frankly too vile to even conjure to mind. But threats of gross sexual acts, assault and aggressive behaviour is just the beginning.

Only late last month another female Gold Logie nominee, TV host and comedian Julia Morris named and shamed a social media bully after they went on her page and started making disparaging comments about her “89-year-old mother’s vagina.”

What the actual.

Julia Morris has also copped “vile” online abuse. Picture: Supplied

“Essentially coming to my workplace to be vile,” Morris wrote.

“I’m celebrating 40 years on Australian TV this year and only now am I standing up to this sh--. I’m sick of it.”

This week the AFL Integrity and Security Unit slapped a five-year ban on a Magpies supporter after they discovered he was the perpetrator behind the inappropriate message referencing the “murder” of the Blues coach.

But AFL WAGS like Judd and Bartel, many of whom people follow in the hundreds of thousands and religiously read about (believe us we have the data to see the online clicks), don’t have such safeguard luxury.

‘Just don’t put yourself out there’ or ‘they know what they are getting themselves into by being in the spotlight’ are the usual lame retorts thrown at them. They make bank from their social media accounts and are savvy at doing so, and why pray tell should they be the ones to back away, surely it should be the trolls and abusers who are held accountable instead.