This episode of Tagged discusses mental health issues, self-harm, and other material that some people might find distressing. For immediate support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 to access a 24-hour hotline. You may also visit beyondblue.org.au or call the Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 4636.

PLAYERS are being pushed to a "scary" edge by abusive fans hiding in the shadows of social media, AFLW stars Ruby Schleicher and Sarah Hosking have warned. 

On this week's episode of Tagged, Schleicher said the dark side of footy fandom again reared its ugly head after Jack Ginnivan's high-profile trade from Collingwood to Hawthorn. 

Tagged, the first player-led podcast and vodcast produced by AFL Digital, combines the latest takes on footy with plenty of pop culture and entertainment chat.

In episode three, which launched Tuesday, Hosking and Schleicher open up on their worries about the impact that keyboard cowards might have on vulnerable players if they don't wake up to the damage caused by their social media slurs.

>> WATCH THE LATEST EPISODE OF TAGGED BELOW

"What's it going to take for people to go, 'Oh, this is scary'? Is it going to be a for a young kid like a Jason Horne-Francis, like a Ginni, to cop it to the point where they are so mentally strung out and they have all this other sh– going on that they harm themselves?" Ruby says. 

"And then people go, 'Oh, s*** I commented this, I played a part in that'. I just think that is such a gruesome thought."

Sarah said such a sinister situation was "not far off" because of how some fans continued to use social media. 

"You're just hounding these young kids. Older players, Adam Goodes going through what he went through … it was horrible," Sarah said. 

"I just don't think people understand the damage they can cause just from making comments.

"Try and understand or have a bit of perspective on what these players are going through."

In fresh episodes of Tagged every Tuesday, Schleicher and Hosking tackle everything from pop culture to locker-room gossip.

In this week's episode, they also discuss:

• In-flight flirting and surprise shoeys – the details of another wild away game emerge
• Justin Timberlake dumped Britney Spears via text?! Ruby Schleicher has her own brutal break up story to share
• Sarah updates Ruby on a “cringe” social media run-in with opposition player, Paige Scott 
• The girls get to the bottom of the bum-tap debate

You can watch Tagged every Tuesday on womens.afl  and the AFLW and AFL Live Official apps, and listen to the podcast on all good podcast platforms on the same day.