Cate Sayers wiped away tears inside Victoria’s Supreme Court on Monday as a bitter legal fight with her estranged husband Luke Sayers escalated in dramatic fashion.
The high-profile hearing centred on a defamation lawsuit brought by Mrs Sayers against the former Carlton president after the explosive social media scandal that rocked the AFL in 2025.
Cate Sayers is suing her estranged husband Luke Sayers for defamation, alleging he falsely implied she was responsible for posting an explicit image from his X account during last year’s scandal.
Luke Sayers claimed hackers compromised his account before resigning as Carlton president shortly after the AFL cleared him of wrongdoing following an integrity investigation.
The court was told both parties would likely face intense cross-examination if the matter proceeds to trial, with the credibility of each expected to become a major battleground.
‘One person’s word against another will be the central issue,’ the court heard during submissions.
Former Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers is pictured with his estranged wife Cate
Cate Sayers is suing her estranged husband for defamation, alleging he falsely blamed her for the explicit ‘d**k pic’ scandal that preceded his resignation
Barrister Matt Collins KC, appearing for Mr Sayers, told Justice Andrew Watson the case would inevitably come down to which witness was believed.
‘In this case, findings of fact will turn on credit,’ Collins said.
‘It’s inevitable there is going to be cross-examination of both witnesses … [and] submission as to which witness ought to be believed.’
The hearing also drew an unexpected celebrity appearance, with acclaimed Australian actress Rachel Griffiths seen leaving court alongside Mrs Sayers and her legal team.
It is understood Griffiths attended the hearing while conducting research connected to a possible future production.
Lawyers for Mr Sayers argued the matter should be transferred from the Supreme Court to the family division of the Federal Court, where proceedings would not be publicly aired before a jury.
Collins claimed extensive publicity surrounding the saga had become damaging.
‘Salacious at times, it’s been gleeful, it seems to drip in schadenfreude, it’s often tabloid in every sense of the word,’ he told the court.
Luke Sayers claimed hackers compromised his social media account and sent the explicit image to a female executive linked to a major Carlton sponsor
Mr Sayers is pictured second from left with Carlton fan and music star Robbie Williams, former Carlton star Tom De Koning and ex-Carlton coach Michael Voss (right)
The barrister argued the intense media attention was impacting Mr Sayers’ ‘ability to do business’ and warned a public trial involving sensitive material could become ‘logistically complicated’.
Justice Watson appeared unconvinced by parts of the submission.
‘I wouldn’t regard that as your best point,’ the judge responded after hearing concerns about managing privacy issues in open court.
Justice Watson noted the Supreme Court routinely handled matters involving ‘allegations of the most sensitive nature’.
Mrs Sayers is opposing the move and wants the matter heard publicly before a jury in Victoria’s Supreme Court.
Her barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC told the court her client was seeking public vindication and wanted jurors to hear directly from her.
‘From my client’s perspective, that involves the public being able to see that and to hear her evidence,’ Chrysanthou said.
The hearing was briefly closed to the public during arguments over confidential material and issues relating to privacy and breach of confidence.
Justice Watson reserved his decision on the competing applications at the conclusion of Monday’s proceedings.
The decision came after Mrs Sayers sought court orders compelling the AFL and Carlton to hand over internal communications related to the ex-Blues president’s infamous d*** pic scandal.
That could force senior league officials, club figures and advisers to produce emails, messages and internal documents linked to the fallout from the explicit image that briefly appeared on Luke Sayers’ X account during a family trip to Italy in January last year.
The image, which tagged a female executive connected to major Carlton sponsor Bupa, was removed within minutes before Sayers publicly claimed his account had been hacked.
Court documents reveal Cate Sayers is now seeking access to communications between AFL executives, Carlton officials and members of Luke Sayers’ inner circle as she attempts to prove the league’s integrity investigation was compromised from the outset.
Among those subject to the proposed court orders is AFL corporate affairs boss Sharon McCrohan, who had previously been brought in to help manage the public relations fallout surrounding Sayers after the post went viral.
Cate Sayers launched a defamation lawsuit against her husband in January, relating to the widely publicised ‘d**k pic’ scandal that unfolded early last year.
She has alleged that he falsely implied she was behind the publication of the explicit photo, according to court documents.
Luke Sayers accused hackers of infiltrating his social media accounts and sending the graphic sexual image to a female executive at one of the club’s key sponsors.
He quit as president of the club on January 22 last year, with the announcement coming just minutes after the AFL cleared him of any wrongdoing.
In court documents, Cate Sayers claims that she was defamed after Mr Sayers provided a statutory declaration to the AFL Commission’s integrity unit, in which she accuses him of alleging that she was responsible for posting the lewd photo on his X account.
