AFLW star Tayla Harris opens up on ugly Blues exit after $150k rumour

Tayla Harris has revealed how she turned around the worst season of her AFLW career to become a record shattering star once again.

Tayla Harris is in a good place again. Photo: Getty Images

AFLW star Tayla Harris has opened up on her ugly exit from Carlton at the end of last AFLW season, which has led to a record breaking first campaign for the Melbourne Demons.

Harris has established herself as arguably the face of the AFLW in her short career, particularly following the 2019 furore around a photo of her in full flight performing a drop punt, which attracted “inappropriate and offensive” trolling.

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The now iconic image elevated Harris into the public consciousness.

Her performances have also stood up, making the All-Australian team in 2017, 2018 and 2020, as well as finishing as Carlton’s leading goalkicker in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

But Harris had a nightmare 2021, kicking just four goals and finding herself on the outer at Carlton as reports emerged she was asking for $150,000.

Harris has always denied that figure was accurate and recently claimed her 2021 season was an outlier as the separation from family due to Covid “rocked me around a bit”.

“The reason I moved was under the precedent I could get back (to her home state of Queensland),” Harris explained on the Melbourne Demons podcast Lil and Ben recently. “In what world could you not fly back to Queensland? This world, the Covid world.”

As reported by the Herald Sun, Harris admitted to an “immature mindset” when it came to her break-up with Carlton.

At the time, Blues coach Daniel Harford criticised Harris’ consistency, along with the money issue.

Tayla Harris is in a good place again. Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Harris said criticism of performances doesn’t necessarily take negative factors into account when athletes are struggling.

“There’s never been a game of footy that I’ve played where I haven’t given my all at that particular moment,” she said. “I think that sometimes fans probably get it skewed that if you don’t have your best performance, it’s because you didn’t try, which is not necessarily the case.

“I think there are scenarios where that is your ceiling for that particular day for various reasons, external impact or mentally that’s where you’re at for the day.

“This season compared to last, it is completely at the other end of the spectrum in terms of my mental capacity to contribute to footy right now. Middle of Covid, I didn’t have the ability to contribute when I had to think about my family and all that sort of stuff. Now, with the priorities I’ve set, I’m full focus.”

In 2022, Harris moved to the Demons on the back of a mega-trade, and knew she had to prove herself to her new teammates.

She’s done just that by booting a record-breaking 18 goals — the most by an AFLW player in a single season — as Melbourne heads into the final game of the regular season second on the ladder. In the final game, she’ll face Carlton for the first time since her ugly exit.

New goalkicking record holder Tayla Harris. Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Tayla Harris has been in great form. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images

But Harris said a reshaping of her priorities has helped her rediscover herself as a footballer.

“I probably got a bit distracted in terms of having too many commitments,” Harris said.

“I’ve got my priorities right now – footy is absolutely No. 1, obviously family as well. And then other things. So much so that I’ll cancel a dinner plan or a lunch plan with someone if it impedes on training. That’s something that I’ve shifted.

“I’m excited when I can put a full couple of seasons together.”

“I think last season was an outlier,” she added. “Of course I could sit here and explain why and it would make total sense but I don’t need to. It’s in the past, I’m only moving forward.”