Embarrassing moments happen to athletes during games all the time, but they should never be used against them by faceless trolls

Having a good old-fashioned laugh is a serious reminder that you can’t take sport too seriously all the time. But why do the trolls always take it one step further?

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• +How she deals with AFLW haters

During my netball playing career, there was one part of my week that I always really enjoyed: the post-game team meetings. Following each game, we would sit down together and watch cuts of the embarrassing moments that had happened to us (along with the serious game-sense ones too, of course).

Think Hollywood bloopers, but with goals at stake. It always used to make us giggle and there was something really nice in that, because having a good old-fashioned laugh was a serious reminder to us that you can’t take sport too seriously all the time.

How's the celebration from @sarahperkins28 ? 😄 How you feeling Hatchy? 😉 #weflyasone #crowsaflw pic.twitter.com/5B3vLD75ro

— Adelaide Crows AFLW (@CrowsAFLW) February 10, 2019

Those laughs were like a buffer to all the tension and tactic-talk.

I was reminded of this during the week watching footage of a goal-celebration-gone-wrong between Crows AFLW players Sarah Perkins and Anne Hatchard.

I — like most people, including the players involved — had a great chuckle at the vision showing them jumping up for a chest-bump following Perkins’ goal and then Hatchard flying backwards.

Sarah Perkins (back) and Sophie Li of the Crows celebrate their win over Carlton at Ikon Park. Picture: Hamish Blair/AAP

Hatchard explained after the game that her foot had become stuck underneath Perkins’ foot and as such, she lost her balance and fell over (and it should be noted that she quickly stood up again with a smile on her face). But, as soon as the vision was shared on social media, out came the internet trolls making mean and hurtful comments about Perkins’ body shape.

I suddenly felt grateful that my embarrassing out-takes happened in the days before social media and they were kept behind closed doors.

For me, it’s been tough watching Perkins be personally attacked like that.

She is a hardworking, dedicated athlete and didn’t deserve the attention from faceless “keyboard warriors”.

I just wish they thought longer about the implications of making mean comments about a woman’s body before they typed out their words.

Embarrassing things happen during games and plenty has happened to me, but no one deserves to be personally attacked for playing a game they love. And playing it well.

Originally published as Embarrassing moments happen to athletes during games all the time, but they should never be used against them by faceless trolls