AFLW star Tayla Harris has divided the football world with a selfie posing with Serena Williams at the Olympics.
Many have questioned whether Harris should be enjoying life in Paris, given that the AFLW season starts in three weeks.
The All Australian and Melbourne Demons forward is also battling back from a shoulder injury.
But the 27-year-old, who is in France to attend a Nike conference, will find the trip to be “a perfect learning experience” that will “bring valuable knowledge” into the football season, according to her club.
Harris took the selfie with the retired American tennis superstar at a global Nike promotional event.
Former Port Adelaide legend Kane Cornes led the wave of backlash.
“I’m taking it seriously then,” Harris captioned her selfie.
The brutal blow sparked a divided response among football fans.
Demons striker Tayla Harris stunned football fans with a selfie (pictured) of herself with tennis legend Serena Williams during the Paris Olympics.
“The lack of professionalism of jet-setters like this is why they (AFLW stars) aren’t taken seriously, aren’t employed full-time and aren’t paid top dollar,” wrote one.
Another added: “It’s not a good look for her or the girls… there’s no chance of one of the Brisbane or Adelaide girls going to Paris a few weeks before the season starts.”
A third wrote: “Well she’s terrible at football so she might as well enjoy it.”
Other fans were quick to come to Harris’ defense and criticize Cornes.
“Well, if it was a full-time job you might be right, but you’re not,” one commented.
Another added: “I have no idea who you are… but maybe you should take the lemon out of your mouth before you speak next time.”
Demons director of women’s football Jessie Mullholland said the club fully supported Harris’ trip to France.
“Tayla has been presented with an incredible opportunity to go to Paris for the Olympics,” she said. Herald of the Sun.
Tayla’s trip to Paris has divided the AFL world and football fans
The club is understood to have been informed about Harris’ trip to Paris months ago, where she has interacted with some of the world’s top female athletes in recent weeks.
“And upon his return, he will share his experiences and learnings with the team, giving us a unique perspective on achieving high performance in a variety of fields,” Mulholland said.
Harris, one of Nike’s global icons, backed this up with photos of his training at the world-class facilities of French rugby club Paris Racing 92.
She also spent some time away from sporting activities sharing photos of herself at various restaurants and riding a bike down a street in Paris.
The Demons’ opening game of the new season is against Geelong on August 31, and Harris will struggle for fitness after aggravating a shoulder in a recent training camp.
Regardless of whether he plays or not, he will be in Australia for the match and posted on Instagram that he “will be back in Paris soon.”
Williams also attracted some unplanned publicity in the French capital when she criticised a five-star hotel for denying her family access to a rooftop restaurant, even though it was empty.
Some have questioned whether Harris (pictured) should have gone to Paris, given the AFL Women’s season starts in three weeks and she is struggling to recover from a shoulder injury.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner took to X to complain about the treatment she received at The Peninsula Hotel on Monday.
“Wow!” Williams wrote. “@peninsulaparis I was denied access to the rooftop to eat at a restaurant empty of nicer places, but never with my kids. Always a first.”
The hotel later responded: ‘Dear Mrs Williams, Please accept our sincere apologies for the disappointment you experienced this evening.
‘Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully booked.
‘It has always been an honour for us to welcome you and it will always be an honour to welcome you back to The Peninsula Paris.’