Some of the most powerful figures in the AFL are having their correspondence subpoenaed as part of the legal action being taken against ex-Carlton boss Luke Sayers by his estranged wife, it has been reported.
Cate Sayers launched a defamation lawsuit against her husband in January, relating to the widely publicised ‘d*** 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.
AFL powerbrokers are being dragged into the legal battle between former Carlton president Luke Sayers and his wife Cate (pictured together), it has been reported
Sayers (pictured with marketing manager Alexandra Elms) quit as president of the club in January last year after being cleared by the AFL over a scandal surrounding the publication of a photo of his genitalia on social media
Now News Corp has reported that her legal team will subpoena correspondence by AFL powerbrokers including the league’s executive general manager of corporate affairs, Sharon McCrohan, and the head of the league’s integrity unit, Tony Keane.
Mrs Sayers’ lawyers have filed court documents alleging that the AFL colluded with Carlton and Luke Sayers in order to clear him of involvement in the scandal surrounding the explicit photograph, in what would amount to a cover-up if proven to be true, the report said.
McCrohan had been brought on board by Mr Sayers as a spin doctor during the fallout immediately after the photo was posted last year.
Correspondence from AFL general counsel Stephen Meade and former corporate affairs executive general manager Brian Walsh is also central to Mrs Sayers’ case, the publication reported.
Mrs Sayers’ lawyers made a filing to the court last week in which they said documents will be sought from ‘relevant parties’ under subpoena and the process of discovery.
The Daily Mail has contacted the AFL for comment.
In a previous development in the case, Cate Sayers’ lawyers told the court they are alleging that Mr Sayers made false claims to the AFL integrity unit, News Corp reported.
Her legal team alleged that Mr Sayers falsely told the integrity unit that she took the photo of his genitalia and that Mr Sayers asked her to delete the image from her phone.
Correspondence from AFL executive general manager of corporate affairs Sharon McCrohan (pictured) will be subpoenaed as part of Cate Sayers’ case, it has been reported
Cate Sayers has alleged that Mr Sayers (pictured) made false claims to the AFL integrity unit as the league investigated the scandal
Luke Sayers’ defence included the claim that his wife told him ‘Let’s see how you get out of this one’ the day after the explicit image was published, the report said.
Luke Sayers also claims his wife is the only person who knew that the photo had been taken for ‘medical purposes’, and alleges she went through his phone and stole messages and photos in March last year, according to court documents.
Mr Sayers also claims she took a confidential draft statement written for submission to the AFL integrity unit.
Cate Sayers, who is the founder and director of a not-for-profit organisation that provides fitness programmes for people with Down syndrome, is now seeking damages.
She claims she suffered ‘significant distress, hurt and embarrassment, entitling her to an award of equitable compensation.’
In January, a representative of Mr Sayers told the media that the former Carlton boss ‘rejects the claims being made against him’.
