Sayers Daughters Publicly Support Father as AFL Image Scandal Heads to Supreme Court
In a dramatic development within an already contentious family dispute, two daughters of former Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers have broken their silence with a powerful public declaration of support. Bronte and Claudia Sayers issued a rare joint statement on Friday, confirming they stand firmly behind their father as defamation proceedings initiated by their estranged mother, Cate Sayers, move toward a Supreme Court hearing.
Legal Battle Intensifies Over Allegations and Implication
The defamation case centres on serious allegations that Luke Sayers implied Cate was responsible for posting an explicit image from his phone during an official AFL Integrity Unit investigation last year. Cate Sayers has launched Supreme Court action, alleging her husband falsely identified her as the third party in a statutory declaration submitted to the AFL. She maintains she had no involvement and strongly denies the implication.
The AFL relied upon this declaration when it cleared Luke Sayers of personal wrongdoing, concluding his social media account had been compromised by an undisclosed individual. Cate Sayers contends she was unfairly implicated during the probe and that damaging statements were made about her mental health as part of her husband's defence strategy. She further asserts she was never formally interviewed by the AFL investigators.
Daughters' Statement Marks Family Rift and Legal Stance
The statement from Bronte and Claudia represents the first time members of the immediate Sayers family have publicly taken sides in the dispute, which has sent shockwaves through AFL administrative circles and reignited scrutiny of the league's integrity processes.
This dispute sits within a long and complicated family history, with very different accounts of past events. Based on what we have lived and experienced, we stand behind our father and his position, the daughters' statement read. If needed, we will give evidence to support [Dad] … but we still hope it won't come to that.
They expressed regret over the public nature of the conflict, stating: We have never spoken publicly about the matters affecting our family but given recent events, we wish to make our position clear. We are very sorry that this continues to play out publicly. We would have much preferred for all of this to be resolved privately, without going to court.
Origins of the Scandal and Ongoing Fallout
The controversy first erupted in January 2025 when an explicit image was briefly uploaded to Luke Sayers' X account while he was serving as president of Carlton. The post, which remained live for several minutes before deletion, tagged a female corporate executive associated with major club sponsor Bupa.
Sayers immediately denied posting the image, publicly apologised, and claimed his account had been hacked. Following the AFL Integrity Unit's investigation and its findings, he resigned as Carlton president minutes after the league announced its conclusions, ending a 12-year association with the club. Cate Sayers subsequently left the marriage.
Legal Responses and Broader Implications
Through a spokesperson, Luke Sayers told media outlets on Friday that he rejects the allegations being made against him and will defend the defamation proceedings. His representatives stated the former Carlton boss maintains the claims are false and that he will contest the matter vigorously in court.
Sayers has engaged an advisory firm established by former senior Victorian government figures to help manage the dispute. He was previously represented by prominent Melbourne lawyer Leon Zwier during the initial lewd image saga.
The legal action has reopened intense scrutiny of how the AFL Integrity Unit conducts its investigations, particularly its reliance on sworn statements and its limited public explanation of investigative methodologies. The AFL has declined to comment on the court proceedings or on questions surrounding Cate Sayers' claim that she was not contacted during the original probe.
The Sayers family includes four daughters in total, with Alexandra and Lucinda not issuing public statements at this stage. The case continues to highlight the deeply personal and legal complexities arising from the very public scandal.
