Tayla Harris in brutal injury development as pre-season trip to Olympics backfires spectacularly

AFLW and boxing star Tayla Harris has suffered yet another injury setback, picking up a quad strain in training after what has been an eventful pre-season for the Melbourne Demons forward. Harris left the AFL world divided after taking a trip to Paris just weeks out from the 2024 season, posting happy snaps with tennis great Serena Williams and getting amongst the Olympics festivities.

The All-Australian and Demons player has been battling a shoulder injury she picked up in July and many had questioned whether she should be living it up abroad, given the fact she was recovering from an injury and the season was just three weeks away. Former Port Adelaide legend Kane Cornes led the barrage of backlash against the AFLW star, taking to X to write: "Taking it seriously then".

Many fans agreed with Cornes that it was a bad look, while others gave her the benefit of the doubt as the Demons leapt to her defence, describing the international expedition as "a perfect learning experience" that will "bring valuable insights" to Melbourne's 2024 campaign. "Tayla was presented with an incredible opportunity to go to Paris for the Olympics," head of women's football Jessie Mulholland told AFL.com.

"This idea was brought to the club several months ago, and we recognised it as a perfect learning experience for Tayla and a chance to bring valuable insight back to the club. In Paris, Tayla will be engaging with some of the world's greatest female athletes, and upon her return she will share her experiences and learning with the team, providing us with a unique perspective on achieving high performance in various fields."

Harris, who is signed to sports brand Nike, shared photos online of her training at French rugby club Paris Racing 92's world-class facilities and also showcased some time away from sporting pursuits uploading photos of herself at various restaurants and riding a bike on a Paris street. Uploaded with the caption 'brb (be right back), in Paris,' the post immediately drew the ire of fans who were concerned she wasn't taking her shoulder recovery and the new season seriously.

Tayla Harris' Paris trip spectacularly backfires

And the decision for her to head abroad has now spectacularly backfired with the Melbourne star picking up a low-grade quad strain after returning to training from her Paris adventure this week. After sitting out the Demons' match sim loss to Carlton, Harris was expected to make a return in this weekend's practice game against Port Adelaide. However, the injury has ruled her out of that match, with the forward racing the clock to be fit for round one.

"Tayla also had some scans following a session earlier in the week, which revealed a low-grade quad strain," Melbourne AFLW high-performance manager Sam Batterton said. "She’ll miss Sunday’s match, but we fully expect her to be ready for round one." Melbourne will start their AFLW campaign against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on August 31, with the Cats having consigning the Demons to a straight-sets exit in last year's semi-final.

And with Harris in doubt for that encounter, many have questioned her commitment and the team's decision to allow her to go on a holiday just weeks out from the new season. Cornes led the chorus of criticism, writing on X: "Torn quad, funny that".