Former Carlton president Luke Sayers is reportedly nearing a settlement in a defamation lawsuit filed by his estranged wife, Cate Sayers, concerning an explicit photograph posted from his social media account. Lawyers for both parties have been negotiating to resolve the case before a scheduled hearing in the Victorian Supreme Court.
Sources close to Cate Sayers indicated that an agreement to settle the case is imminent, with a public statement potentially being released this week. A key component of any settlement is expected to be a public apology to his estranged wife. This reported breakthrough follows a two-month legal stalemate during which Mr. Sayers unsuccessfully attempted to have the case moved to the Federal Circuit and Family Court, a move that would have imposed stricter limitations on media coverage.
Justice Andrew Watson ordered the defamation action to remain in the Victorian Supreme Court, with a seven-day judge-alone trial scheduled for November. Mrs. Sayers initiated the lawsuit over statements Mr. Sayers allegedly made in a statutory declaration to the AFL Integrity Unit after the explicit image appeared on his X account on January 8, 2025. She claims the declaration falsely implicated her in accessing his account and publishing the image without his knowledge.
Mr. Sayers has maintained that his account was compromised and has denied personally posting the photograph. The image, which tagged a senior executive from Carlton sponsor Bupa, remained online for approximately 15 minutes before being deleted. A subsequent post from the account stated, "Sorry my account has been hacked – please ignore all posts."
The incident occurred while Mr. Sayers, his wife, and their four daughters were on holiday in Italy. Mr. Sayers stated he was showering and had left his phone in an adjoining room when the image was posted.
AFL Investigation and Resignation
The AFL launched an investigation and requested a statutory declaration from Mr. Sayers addressing how the photograph was taken, who had access to his passwords, and why the incident was not reported to the police. The AFL's Integrity Unit ultimately cleared him of wrongdoing, concluding that access to his account "was compromised." Mr. Sayers resigned as Carlton president on January 22, 2025, shortly after the AFL announced its findings.
Mrs. Sayers alleges she was not interviewed by the AFL despite being identified as a relevant party in the investigation. Her legal team has also claimed that the AFL failed to conduct a thorough forensic examination of Mr. Sayers' phone, X account, or the photograph before reaching its conclusion. Court documents indicate Mrs. Sayers contends the investigation was neither adequate nor impartial, and that the AFL collaborated too closely with Carlton and Mr. Sayers during the decision-making process. The AFL has refuted these claims, with a spokesperson stating the league's jurisdiction is limited to registered officials and potential breaches of AFL rules, and that the AFL stands by its investigation process.
Carlton has also denied allegations of collusion with the AFL during the investigation. Mrs. Sayers asserts that the statutory declaration contained false and confidential information about her personal life, health, and family relationships. Mr. Sayers' lawyers maintain the declaration was truthful and provided as required by the AFL investigation, arguing it was confidential and legally privileged. The contents of the document became more widely known through Mrs. Sayers' lawsuit.
A public hearing was anticipated to reveal further details about the AFL investigation, potentially including internal communications involving league and Carlton officials. Sharon McCrohan, an AFL corporate affairs executive who had advised Mr. Sayers during the initial controversy before joining the league, and other AFL personnel, were reportedly warned to preserve communications related to the matter in anticipation of possible subpoenas.
Mr. Sayers was recently seen attending Carlton's victory over Melbourne at the MCG and was reportedly planning a trip to Italy. He was also photographed at Crown's Million Dollar Lunch with Alexandra Elms, his new partner.