AFLW player Dakota Davidson opens up about online trolling after grand final win

Last year a photo of AFLW player Dakota Davidson went viral after her team the Brisbane Lions won the grand final.

What was supposed to be a moment of sheer joy and celebration was quickly shrouded in negativity as the AFL star copped abuse from online trolls.

In a recent interview on the Keegan and Company podcast, Davidson opened up about the negativity she experienced.

Watch the video above.

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The photo was initially featured on a news story about the team's win but it took on a life of its own with social media users commenting on Davidson's physical appearance.

"I obviously had a lot of success on the grand final day and I think one of my photos was the front cover of the news article," she explained.

"I scrolled through the comments and it was all just: 'He's the best one out there', 'He won them the game', 'Good on him', 'He grew a leg when it was needed' and I've just copped a lot."

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Davidson continued to explain that it wasn't just that one game but its something that happens "every game".

Tears began to well up in Davidson's eyes as she recalled her experience.

"I'm getting all emotional now but like it just gets frustrating," she said, fighting through tears.

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"Because like I'm actually really proud of how I look and like how I present myself and like who I am."

Davidson has had enough of experiencing this kind of criticism about her looks but she hopes she can help prove to young women and girls that there is no one standard of beauty.

"Now I have games and I make an effort to point out little girls with short hair because I know that they see me and they're like: 'Dax has short hair, I can have short hair too', I love that I love making them feel special," she explained.

READ MORE: NRLW star Julia Robinson reflects on her experience of online trolling two years later

Davidson's experience does not exist in a vacuum, it's something that is faced far too often by female athletes.

Earlier this year, NRLW player Julia Robinson spoke to 9honey about her experience with online trolling that picked apart her muscular appearance.

"In all honesty, it did hurt when I started to read what people were saying about me," she told 9honey.

Robinson's experience prompted her to call out the trolling on social media as she realised she "shouldn't be ashamed of [her] body" and neither should other women and girls.

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