<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A former </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/afl" rel="" target="" title="AFL"><span>AFL</span></a><span> club president's wife has accused him of shamelessly blaming her for a lewd social media photo scandal, in defamation filings released by a court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Cate Sayers is suing her estranged husband Luke, a former Carlton Football Club president and member of its board, for defamation in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/victoria" rel="" target="" title="Victoria's Supreme Court"><span>Victoria's Supreme Court</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The allegations surround a statutory declaration written by Mr Sayers, which </span><a href="https://www.nine.com.au/sport/afl/afl-news-2026-former-carlton-blues-president-luke-sayers-lewd-photo-scandal-wife-legal-action-20260121-p5nvr8.html" rel="" target="_blank" title="accused Mrs Sayers of accessing his X account"><span>accused Mrs Sayers of accessing his X account</span></a><span>, posting a photograph of her husband's genitalia in January 2025 and tagging a female executive at Bupa.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/group-arrested-and-weapons-seized-in-melbournes-cbd/9c4ef455-51fc-435d-a39c-96670be2f07b" rel="" target="" title="Group of armed teens arrested at popular Melbourne festival"><strong><span>Group of armed teens arrested at popular Melbourne festival</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/trisha-graf-missing-woman-police-conclude-latest-search/299f575f-da56-49f2-952f-6ae8a7f026a5"><strong><span>Vehicle seized in search for missing SA mum</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The document was sworn by Mr Sayers in the weeks after the controversial post, which was quickly deleted, as the AFL and Carlton conducted investigations because he claimed he was not responsible and his X account had been compromised.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mrs Sayers has alleged her husband "shamelessly" published false information about her in the statutory declaration and blamed her for the post, according to new </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/courts" rel="" target="" title="court filings"><span>court filings</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/ex-carlton-boss-luke-sayers-wife-cate-says-he-blamed-her-for-scandal/7925f1d9-ff48-48a5-a0c7-f679836fc147" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said the document contained private and false information about her sexual and medical history, mental health, private relationships and engagement with law enforcement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This was done for the "improper purpose of presenting her as unstable, untrustworthy", Mrs Sayers alleged.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/get-the-pill-at-local-chemist-without-script/f35bf87a-fe33-4da7-884b-6bf68fde761f" rel="" target="" title="Accessing common drug is about to get cheaper and easier in one state"><strong><span>Accessing common drug is about to get cheaper and easier in one state</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/daylight-savings-2026-when-does-it-end-australia-what-to-do-clocks-april-explainer/557ba184-b801-488a-8ded-d2e063cf3e21" rel="" target="" title="Millions of Aussies to get an extra hour of sleep as daylight saving set to end"><strong><span>Millions of Aussies to get an extra hour of sleep as daylight saving set to end</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Exposing this information was "calculated for his own personal, reputational and commercial benefit", and damaged her reputation, she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The information was used to present her as 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," her statement of claim said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The information was calculated to convince the recipients that Cate was responsible for or participated in the posting of the X post."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mrs Sayers further alleged the document requested police and/or the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/sport" rel="" target="" title="AFL"><span>AFL</span></a><span> not to interview her, which had removed any opportunity for her to respond to the allegations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mrs Sayers is seeking exemplary damages from her husband, as she claimed to have been "shunned and avoided" by people she knows in the AFL, Carlton, and others who knew the couple, ever since.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She accused Mr Sayers of breaching her confidence, which caused her to suffer "significant distress, hurt and embarrassment entitling her to an award of equitable compensation".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mr Sayers is yet to file his defence with the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/courts" rel="" target="" title="court"><span>court</span></a><span>, and AAP has contacted his lawyers for a response.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was president of Carlton from 2021 to January 2025, and stepped down after AFL integrity unit findings.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred 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