‘Overrated, overpaid’: Tayla Harris ‘just some girl who got lucky with a photo’

Tayla Harris is one of the AFLW’s most recognisable faces and has a simple message for critics who think she’s “overrated” and “overpaid”.

Tayla Harris has a simple message for her critics — I don’t care about your opinion.

The 25-year-old is one of the AFLW’s most recognisable faces, gaining widespread attention following the 2019 furore around a photo of her in full flight performing a drop punt, which attracted “inappropriate and offensive” trolling.

The now iconic image elevated Harris into the public consciousness.

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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 campaign, 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, but that didn’t prevent a tsunami of social media trolls — mostly men — flooding her inbox with abusive messages.

A film crew has followed her for 12 months to capture life behind the scenes, with her story immortalised in Amazon Prime documentary Kick Like Tayla.

Tayla Harris has rediscovered some good form at Melbourne. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

This photo made Harris a household name. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media)

“I know what they say,” she told this weekend’s edition of The Binge Guide. “I’m overrated. Overpaid. I’m just some girl who got lucky with a photo. But they have no idea who I am.

“I’m not really interested in their opinion. If it changes someone’s mind, then that’s a good step. But it’s not my job to change other people’s minds.”

Harris, who’s also a successful professional boxer, was traded to Melbourne last year after a messy exit from Carlton amid rumours she wasn’t fully committed to her footy at the Blues.

But she returned to her best form this season, kicking a career-high 18 goals and playing a key role in the Demons’ push to the AFLW Grand Final.

They fell at the final hurdle, going down to the Adelaide Crows by 13 points in last month’s decider.

AFLW star Tayla Harris.

Harris explained that 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 told the Melbourne Demons podcast Lil and Ben in March.

“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.”

Read the full interview with Harris in this weekend’s edition of The Binge Guide