Former Australian netball captain Liz Ellis has championed a controversial netball ad after critics claim it draws uncomfortable parallels to a domestic violence ad . The Fox Sports ad , which is promoting the upcoming ANZ Netball Championships , depicts Diamonds star Sharni Layton with a badly blackened eye . An injury Ms Ellis claims she earned 'giving her all ' in training earlier that week . ‘ I love the ad , ’ Ms Ellis told Daily Mail Australia . Scroll down for video . Standing tall : Sharni Layton did n't want to use make up to cover the black eye she sustained in a training session . Liz Ellis penned a though provoking article hitting back at critics of the ad saying it shows what netballers are capable of . ‘ It ’ s great because it shows what netballers are capable of and it doesn ’ t shy away from the fact that they are physical , ’ she added . Ms Ellis penned a column for The Age defending the controversial ad after critics claimed Ms Layton ’ s bruised and bloodshot left eye was distasteful . She hit back saying more people need to recognise that these highly trained athletes are not only capable of putting their body on the line , but they love it . ‘ I think people don ’ t want to emphasise the fact that it is a physical game and women can go hard. ’ Australian TV journalist Sam Squires claims the ad could have conveyed the message that womens sport is tough without such a 'confronting image. ’ Sam Squires likened the sports injury to one sustained at the hands of an abuser . Liz Ellis is adamant that women play with a level of physicality that can sometimes lead to injuries . ‘ It screams violence not toughness , ’ she said in an article on her website . Respectfully disagreeing , Ms Ellis said it would be a mistake to see elite female athletes , playing with the ferocity that men would , and assume it 's an act of violence . 'The game isn ’ t violent , the players don ’ t go out there to inflict pain , there is no malice . Netball is a tough game and that ’ s what it portrays . ' ' I don ’ t think this conversation would have happened if it were a blokes sport , ' she added . Twitter users expressed their support by backing Ms Ellis ' claims that women and girls can be tough on court . Star player Sharni Layton sustained the controversial eye injury in a training session and was offered to cover it up with make up before shooting the ad . She declined as she saw no reason to cover up the realities of the game . Ms Ellis says people do n't want to emphasise the level of physicality involved in netball . Ms Ellis said she was elated to see a role model for young girls who can say 'look at what I can do , not at how I look ' . 'This is so vital because of the way society is . Little girls from a young age are reinforced that it ’ s all about how you look , ' she told Daily Mail Australia . 'What sport does is that it flips it from what your body looks like to what your body can actually do . How high can you jump ? How fast can you run ? How far can you throw ? ' Ms Ellis wants young girls to focus less on what they look like on court and more on what their body can actually do . The ad highlights the athletes physical prowess but has been heavily criticised . While Ms Ellis is adamant this particular ad does n't trivialise domestic violence , she said can see why people would assume 'that when a woman is bruised she is a victim . ' Ms Ellis said the notion of domestic violence is becoming 'all pervasive ' due to the unfortunate fact that it is far more likely for a woman to suffer injuries at the hand of a partner than on a netball court . ‘ We can ’ t ask people to change that perception until women aren ’ t victims . And that ’ s where we have to start , ’ she added . The # likeagirl campaign , which the ad is loosely based off , took off in June last year after releasing a video which challenges the perception of what the phrase `` like a girl '' means .
Ad for Netball-great Liz Ellis shows star Sharni Layton with black eye . Ms Layton sustained the injury playing netball and did n't want to cover it . Critics likened the ad to domestic violence campaigns . ANZ Netball Championship hit back saying it shows the reality of the game . 'Netball is a tough game and that ’ s what it portrays , ' says Ms Ellis .