Defamation Lawsuit in Victoria's Supreme Court: Cate Sayers vs. Luke Sayers

The Social Media Incident

In January 2025, an image of Mr. Sayers' genitalia was posted to his X account. According to court documents, the image was visible for approximately 10 to 13 minutes and tagged a female executive at a Carlton Football Club sponsor.

Mr. Sayers states he had the image removed upon learning of the post and denies posting it himself, asserting his account was compromised by a third party.

The Statutory Declaration

In the weeks following the incident, Mr. Sayers provided a statutory declaration to the AFL and Carlton Football Club during their investigations. According to the lawsuit, this declaration accused Mrs. Sayers of accessing his X account, posting the image, and tagging the executive.

Mrs. Sayers alleges the document included private and false details regarding her sexual and medical history, mental health, personal relationships, and interactions with law enforcement.

Mr. Sayers has stated he genuinely and reasonably believed Mrs. Sayers was responsible for the post. His legal team, represented by Matt Collins, KC, argues the statutory declaration was published in good faith.

"The declaration falsely imputed that she was 'unstable, untrustworthy, erratic, mentally disturbed and/or as presenting a live risk to her own safety, and the health and safety of her own family.'"

Legal Proceedings

Mrs. Sayers initiated the defamation lawsuit in the Supreme Court of Victoria, claiming the statutory declaration falsely imputed that she was "unstable, untrustworthy, erratic, mentally disturbed and/or as presenting a live risk to her own safety, and the health and safety of her own family."

She seeks exemplary damages and equitable compensation, alleging the disclosure was made for Mr. Sayers' "personal, reputational and commercial benefit."

Mr. Sayers applied to transfer the case from the Supreme Court of Victoria to a federal court to be heard by a judge without a jury. Mrs. Sayers opposes the move, stating she wants the case heard in the Supreme Court with a jury and public access.

Justice Andrew Watson will deliver a decision on the venue at a later date.

Key Denials

Mrs. Sayers denies both posting the image and having mental illnesses for which she refuses medication. Two of the couple's daughters have publicly supported their father.

Reports indicate Mrs. Sayers was approximately 250 kilometers away from her estranged husband at the time the image was posted.

Prior Investigations

The AFL concluded its investigation with a finding that Mr. Sayers had not breached AFL rules and that his X account had been compromised by an individual other than himself.

Following the incident, Mr. Sayers resigned as president of the Carlton AFL Football Club and his consultancy business was rebranded.

Court Documents and Deadlines

Text messages exchanged between the couple on January 22-23, 2025, were released by the Supreme Court on May 27, 2026. In these messages, Mr. Sayers reportedly told his wife that no one believed she was responsible for posting the image, which could contradict aspects of his statutory declaration.

Subpoenas were issued to Carlton Football Club and the AFL requiring production of all communications referencing the photo, the X post, the statutory declaration, and related investigations.

The court set a deadline of May 27, 2026, for document production. Mr. Sayers has not yet filed his defence with the court.