AFL great Malcolm Blight calls Tayla Harris statue ‘ludicrous’ and ‘mystifying’

AFLW star Tayla Harris had defended her statue after AFL legend Malcolm Blight has slammed the bust as ‘ludicrous’.

Debate continues to rage over the statue of AFLW player Tayla Harris that was unveiled at Melbourne’s Federation Square on Wednesday.

Her famous kick, immortalised in bronze, has now drawn the ire of a legend of the sport.

North Melbourne great and famed premiership coach Malcolm Blight, who has his own statue outside the Adelaide Oval, erupted over the NAB-commissioned statue.

Stream every match of the 2019 Toyota AFL Finals Series before the Grand Final Live & On-Demand on KAYO SPORTS. Get your 14 day free trial and start streaming instantly >

Blight, clearly irked by a player who has had little on-field impact getting a statue, said the decision to give the Carlton player her own statue was “ludicrous” and “mystifying” in a sensational rant on Sportsday SA.

But Harris has hit back on social media with a defiant message about what it stands for, most specifically a “reminder to women and girls that we deserve these opportunities”.

This statue represents #morethanakick, it symbolises a moment in time that can be remembered as a catalyst for change, a stand against online harassment and a reminder to women and girls that we deserve these opportunities ✊🏼 pic.twitter.com/LWcR7VAFge

— Tayla Harris (@taylaharriss) September 12, 2019

The 3.3m statue is inspired by a photograph by Michael Wilson of the Carlton AFLW player which became the target of social media and online trolls.

“She is getting a statue for being trolled online. Mystifying to me. One of the most mystifying things I have ever heard of. I am not happy about it,” Blight said.

Tayla Harris and Terrance Plowright at her sculpture unveiling.

“We have Sam our producer, Ben another producer and Will our panel operator they have all been trolled online — I want a statue of one of these three to go alongside Tayla Harris because that’s how ludicrous and silly the whole thing is.

“What’s the difference between a male and a female in that environment?

“What about all the AFL players, all the SANFL players, all the WAFL players, all those players around Australia being trolled by d***heads, on a medium that I know very little about? Why aren’t they getting a statue? That’s how stupid the whole thing is.”

On Wednesday the unveiling of the statue sparked a spirited debate with plenty of detractors of the statue being met with resistance as others who supported the notion of the statue suggested it represented a line in the sand moment for women’s sport in Australia.

Malcolm Blight with his unveiled statue at Adelaide Oval. Photo Sarah Reed.

Harris herself said she doubted she would understand the significance of it for another two decades but was humbled by the experience.

“It’s a pretty surreal feeling, it’s incredible and it’s more than me just kicking football, it’s a message, it’s a turning point in Australian society, so it’s something I can be personally proud of,” Harris said.

The iconic photo of Harris.

Other social media users echoed Blight, questioning why Harris had received a statue after 22 AFL games and before players such as Daisy Pearce and Erin Phillips.

And news.com.au readers also sided against the Harris statue in an online poll that suggested many other female athletes were more worthy of their own statue than Harris — 72 per cent of 6,468 polled at the time of writing.

Not against the Tayla Harris statue if it means we get like 15 Erin Phillips statues.

— Adam Liaw (@adamliaw) September 11, 2019

There should be more statues honouring female sporting legends...Cathy Freeman, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Michelle Payne etc. But the Tayla Harris statue also celebrates the broader impact of womens sport and footy on our culture. For that it should be welcomed and embraced.

— NickMcCallum7 (@NickMcCallum7) September 11, 2019

Harris, who is also a boxer, said on Wednesday that she was aware the statue could draw more personal abuse towards her but said her instinct was to stand up and ignore the “trolls”.

“I actually said to my mum, because she is affected much more than I am, and asked her to try not to read comments because people are going to say — and it’s tall poppy syndrome — that I don’t deserve this,” Harris said.

Now with an AFL great weighing in the floodgates of opinion have well and truly opened.