Carlton Supporters Club

This is a proud moment for Tayla and our entire football club, recognising her as a person, as an athlete and what the power of women’s football represents. We are delighted to have a player and a person of Tayla’s character representing the Carlton Football Club and acknowledged in such a powerful way.

Mark LoGiudice summed it up very well:

To me it also symbolises the strong stand she took against the farkwits who tried to demean her athleticism and ability with gross sexual comments.  She even forced the lily-livered AFL to back her stance after they initially ran a mile.

Even today, empty heads were calling the ABC to complain that she doesn’t deserve a statue - grow a brain and get a life ?

I'm not completely over the top of this but from a distance I suspect the 'bold' is more the reason for the statue rather than Tayla's ability, which although quite outstanding across a few sports, is by no means greater than many other female athletes.

The statue represents a great technique but it's more a 'symbol' standing against some of the archaic ideas of a neanderthal minority.

The concern of course is 'once a caveman always a caveman' so (sadly) hopefully the CCTV around the monument is up to the task.

Yes, Tayla's reaction to the little pricks was surely deserving of a statue in the long term.

Although I would suggest it's a bit soon, maybe after her career would have been more suitable, doing it now just makes her a bigger target for some coward!

Disagree - with this type of stuff, you need to call it out quick smart and turn it back on the perps of such things - they're the ones that'll look foolish now more than ever.

Ive seen a lot of backlash regarding this image.

The usual what has she done, played 22 games of a sport blah blah blah.

Someone like Nova Perris is more worthy rah rah rah.

I wrote this response to a facebook post about it:

For those who think this isnt worthy of a statue, think again. This image is a symbol that transcends sport. It represents the method of standing up to online bullying and doing so with grace. It is a beacon of hope to budding young female athletes. This is not about displaying football. Or women in football. It's about celebrating a female who stood up for herself in an appropriate way, challenging ideals, inspiring people to be better and setting better standards for our society. Yes, any other female athlete would have been worthy of a statue but few would resonate with the internet generation like this one when you consider the controversy that followed this photo of this kick.

I'm a little bit hmmm about the location more than the actual statue (which I think is fantastic). 

I'd have thought that located either around Princes Park, or with other statues of sporting greats in the MCG precinct would have been more appropriate.  Although maybe the decision to locate it here was a deliberate one to sort of take it a step away from the pure sporting angle & move it into a social comment area.  Still don't know if that works for me.

Maybe this is not intended to be the final location.

Ive seen a lot of backlash regarding this image.

The usual what has she done, played 22 games of a sport blah blah blah.

Someone like Nova Perris is more worthy rah rah rah.

I wrote this response to a facebook post about it:

For those who think this isnt worthy of a statue, think again. This image is a symbol that transcends sport. It represents the method of standing up to online bullying and doing so with grace. It is a beacon of hope to budding young female athletes. This is not about displaying football. Or women in football. It's about celebrating a female who stood up for herself in an appropriate way, challenging ideals, inspiring people to be better and setting better standards for our society. Yes, any other female athlete would have been worthy of a statue but few would resonate with the internet generation like this one when you consider the controversy that followed this photo of this kick.