The AFLW world is wrapping its arms around Essendon midfielder Maddy Prespakis, who was the victim of body shaming from online trolls last week.
The 23-year-old opened up earlier this year about her personal struggles with body image but was the subject of a "horrible message" in the lead up to the Bombers' clash with Gold Coast.
>> WATCH THE LATEST EPISODE OF TAGGED BELOW
"To be honest, I feel very sad right now, for myself I have battled with body image and learning to love my body from a young age until now," she posted on Instagram before the game.
"Playing football is the game I love but body confidence hasn't always made it easy with the view I have on myself, and that's why I've worked so hard to be able to look in the mirror and love what my body looks like.
"Yesterday's horrible message has brought back A LOT of feelings I've worked hard to overcome over the years but with the best people around me right now I know I'll continue to have the love from so many beautiful people in my life."
Prespakis let her football do the talking on Sunday in a best on ground performance which included 22 disposals, nine clearances and two goals.
"We're all behind her and we all support her but it's shocking to think that that's still happening," Collingwood AFLW player Sarah Rowe said on AFL.com.au's Tagged.
"Look at the vulnerability of 'Mads' to be able to talk about that to an open audience and I take my hat off to her for being so vulnerable… this is the most relatable conversation that you can have with people and it relates to so many people within the industry as players and athletes, let alone how many people in the public that it relates to," Richmond player Sarah Hosking added.
"I am sick and tired of seeing online trolls and people that are sitting there happy to sit behind their computers and have a dig at someone's personality, someone's image or something that is close to them.
"I'm all for performance critique, but when you have the audacity to sit behind your computer and have a personal attack on someone it is not OK. You don't understand the damage that it can do to someone."
Rowe said she "couldn't imagine" how Prespakis feels after opening up on the issue.
"I can't imagine how Maddy expressing her vulnerabilities earlier in the year feels… it's just that same wound getting revisited time and time again," Rowe said.
"What she alluded to in her video was that she's not good enough, she is more than good enough, she's one of the best players in the League."
The three-time All-Australian sent a strong message to the haters after one of her super goals in that game, lifting her guernsey and pointing to her midriff.
"I think that was a moment for everyone to sit there and go 'you know what, she's been through a week from hell, and she's had the support of everyone around her, this is a moment that she's just let her football do the talking'.
"We need to have those hard conversations. If it's you that is making those comments take a good hard look at yourself. If it's your friend that's doing that, if it's your child, if it's your mum or dad, son, have a good hard look at yourself and pull your head in because it's not good enough. It's just not OK and it's time to take a stand."
Prespakis will be in action on Friday night when the Bombers head to Mission Whitten Oval to take on the Western Bulldogs.
In fresh episodes of Tagged every Tuesday, co-hosts Sarah Hosking and Sarah Rowe will tackle everything from pop culture to the latest footy news.
This week's episode also includes:
- Collingwood v Richmond – the storm, the sledging, the works!
- The AFLW Dreamtime match heads to Larrakia country
- Breathwork and balance with Megan Waters
You can watch Tagged every Tuesday on AFL.com.au and the AFLW and the AFL Live Official apps, and listen to the podcast on your preferred platforms on the same day.
