The news keeps getting worse for Tayla Harris and AFLW fans alike after the footy star’s future hit a snag after a big-money demand.
It’s not looking good for Tayla Harris or footy fans as some sobering news was delivered about the future following her AFLW pay dispute.
Earlier this month it was reported Harris — who became the leading figure in women’s footy for taking a stance against online trolls who targeted an awesome photo of her in full flight — was seeking $150,000 a season from Carlton.
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Harris’ base salary would account for approximately $28,000, with the rest to be made up of income from marketing and promotional work.
However, talks with the Blues broke down and she will not be wearing navy next season.
Harris now either has to find another club or consider taking a year off from AFLW — something her manager Alex Saundry flagged as a possibility earlier in the week.
According to AFLW reporter Sarah Black, rival clubs simply don’t have the cash to meet Harris’ wishes. It means the 24-year-old may be lost to the game for at least one season — a huge blow to not only the player, but fans who love watching her in action too.
“Probably not at that asking price,” Black told the Credit To The Girls podcast when asked whether other clubs could swoop in and poach Harris, now she won’t be at Carlton.
“She possesses two of the rarest strengths in women’s footy — contested marking and long kicking. So they’re huge attributes for any club.
“But as I’m making the rounds at trade period just asking a whole lot of general questions, I always go, ‘Do you have room for Tayla?’
“(Clubs say) ‘No, no, no, no’. There’s a hell of a lot of no’s out there including the two Queensland clubs. She is a Queensland native but the Lions and the Suns — that’s a no-go there as well.
“It may end up being that she may have to either walk away from footy or lower her asking price.”
Credit To The Girls co-host Lucy Watkin is concerned Harris may be lost to footy if she decides she can make more money focusing purely on her boxing career, which until now she has juggled with her AFLW commitments.
“She could command five-figure, probably soon six-figure purses for her fighting,” Watkin said. “If she was unable to get a contract I fear she would be lost to AFLW.
“I think plenty of clubs would want a Tayla Harris on their side … but I think it is just the asking price that could be the sticking point for Tayla Harris, especially considering the season she’s just come off.
“I think it’s going to be really difficult, but I don’t think it’s going to be the last time we see an issue like this crop up in the AFLW.”
Harris has come in for criticism since her pay demand went public, with many questioning the amount she’s chasing given she is coming off a sub-par season for Carlton.
Earlier this week her camp hit out and said the figures being thrown around were incorrect. Harris’ manager Saundry also said her client brings a lot more to the AFLW than just her on-field exploits.
“It’s actually been blown out of the water in terms of its context,” Saundry told KIIS FM’s Jase & PJ on Monday morning. “It’s been blown out of proportion in terms of the numbers reported in the media. The numbers are nowhere near where they were.
“Carlton coach (Daniel Harford) spoke Friday morning on radio and said the gap was too large. I think it was a really poor choice of words unfortunately from Daniel Harford.
“Taking the money off the table. She is not money hungry, and I want to make that really clear.
“She put (AFLW) on the map. Eddie (McGuire) has said on record that the biggest commercial deals that they were able to do at Collingwood in his time as president was because of the diversity, because of the female teams.
“How do you base a career off seven average games or seven average shows … that’s what we’ve been disappointed about. That’s my choice of words — disappointed.”
