Controversial netball ad #PlayLikeAGirl inspires women to share their own bruises online

WOMEN are sharing their bruised faces online in support of a controversial TV ad that blurred the lines between a sports injury and a domestic violence injury.

Women defend controversial netball ad

HAS an ad for women’s netball gone too far?

That’s the discussion taking place between some of the sport’s biggest names and critics of the ANZ Netball Championship’s latest campaign.

The TV ad causing a stir features the tagline “Play Like A Girl” alongside an image of netballer Sharni Layton sporting a black, bloodshot left eye.

The ad encouraged women to “Run Like A Girl”, “Jump Like A Girl”, “Throw Like A Girl” and “Play Like A Girl”. But it has also encouraged women to share their own bruises online.

Champion of female sports and Channel Nine journalist Sam Squiers, who operates the blog Sportette to be a “voice of women in sport”, said the ad “instantly” reminded her of a domestic violence campaign.

The ad encourages women to run like a girl...

She said the ad fell “awkwardly short” of what it was trying to achieve.

“I’m constantly campaigning for women’s sports and am the first to say the athletes are tough and their game far from slow or weak,” she said.

“I urge those unfamiliar with women’s sports to watch the rugby union and league, the hits are hard, the girls are tough, I say. Yet straight away I have a problem when I see this image. It doesn’t sell women’s sports as tough at all.

Jump like a girl...

“There are other ways of conveying that message without this confronting image. The game has demonstrated inspiring scenes of toughness, heroism, strength, guts and glory throughout its years.

“A bloodshot, black eye doesn’t. Do you need a black eye to prove the players are tough? I can see what the promoters were trying to say, but they just fell awkwardly short.”

Liz Ellis responded. Arguably the most respected name in netball and holder of the Australian record for most Test matches played said she loved the ad.

“I’m going to show my hand early and say I love it,” Ellis wrote in a column published by The Age newspaper.

Throw like a girl...

“It’s no secret that I relish watching a good contest for possession, and one of my favourite things about netball is the commitment of strong, tough and uncompromising athletes to get their hands to the ball first. Finally we have an ad campaign that matches that.

“To draw a line between this image and a domestic violence campaign is unfair to both, and suggests sadly that we live in an age when the assumption can be made that when a woman is bruised she is a victim.”

Sam Squiers.

Liz Ellis.

She said: “I don’t think this conversation would have happened if it were a blokes sport”.

Sunday Telegraph sports writer Jessica Halloran agreed.

Nobody would question a footballer sporting a black eye. I like this campaign. Gutsy. Uncensored. #playlikeagirl https://t.co/v22n9xtnOL

— Jessica Halloran (@JessiHalloran) March 12, 2015

Others showed plenty of support for the ad, too.

#PlayLikeAGirl - Love this ad https://t.co/fLAV0rO94K

— Sandhya Naidu (@SandhyaNTweets) March 12, 2015

.@FOXSportsAUS #PlayLikeAGirl campaign is spot on! I completely agree with @theage: women are not victims, and female athletes are warriors.

— Christyanna Ozorio (@christyannarrrr) March 12, 2015

Some even shared their sports bruises with social media under the hashtag #PlayLikeAGirl.

@LizzyLegsEllis rugby bruises!! #playlikeagirl pic.twitter.com/zv7P86cQWR

— Louise McKinnon (@cliffy66) March 11, 2015

@LizzyLegsEllis My daughter Grace She got the ball! #playlikeagirl #GoalShootersAreToughToo pic.twitter.com/HoRlHuOok0

— Matt Thomas (@MattThomas1405) March 11, 2015