AFL Boss Defends New Comms Chief Amidst Former President’s Scandal
The Australian Football League (AFL) is facing scrutiny following the appointment of its new corporate communications boss, Sharon McCrohan. McCrohan, a well-connected figure in the sports and corporate world, previously served as an advisor to ex-Carlton president Luke Sayers during a tumultuous period involving a lewd picture scandal.
McCrohan has recently taken up her position at AFL headquarters, but her tenure has been overshadowed by the ongoing legal battle between Luke Sayers and his estranged wife, Cate Sayers. Cate Sayers has launched defamation proceedings against her former husband in the Victorian Supreme Court, with McCrohan having been Sayers’ media advisor throughout the controversy.
The scandal erupted last year when an explicit image of a penis appeared on Luke Sayers’ X (formerly Twitter) account, tagging an executive from the health insurance company Bupa. The post was swiftly removed, with Sayers initially claiming his account had been hacked. He later stated the photograph was for medical purposes.
The AFL’s integrity unit launched an investigation into the incident, with McCrohan acting as an advisor to Sayers during this period. Following Sayers’ provision of a statutory declaration to the league, the AFL cleared him and closed its investigation. Shortly thereafter, Sayers resigned as president of the Carlton Football Club.
AFL Commissioner Stands Firm on Investigation Integrity
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has publicly defended the integrity of the league’s investigation into the lewd photo scandal, despite explosive claims made by Luke and Cate Sayers in court documents. Speaking in a series of radio interviews on Saturday, Dillon unequivocally stated that the investigation had not been compromised.
“Not at all,” Dillon stated when asked about the impact of the court claims on the AFL’s findings. He emphasised that the league’s internal processes were robust and fair.
The court filings reveal a complex and acrimonious dispute between the former couple. Luke Sayers alleges that his ex-wife stole emails, texts, and photographs from his phone, subsequently using them to initiate defamation action against him. This action, he claims, followed his provision of personal information about her to the AFL’s integrity unit during their probe into the lewd photo incident.
When questioned about whether McCrohan’s involvement in the saga had tarnished her reputation or the AFL’s perception of her, Dillon again asserted, “Not at all.”
AFL spokesman Jay Allen commented that the matter between Mr and Mrs Sayers is currently before the courts, indicating the league’s stance of non-interference in the ongoing legal proceedings.
Dillon reiterated his confidence in the thoroughness of the AFL’s investigation. “Again, Luke and Cate are going through whatever they are. There is a court process going on. But I will absolutely stand by the integrity investigation,” he said. He also noted that Luke Sayers is no longer the Carlton president and therefore no longer under the purview of the AFL.
Allegations and Counter-Allegations in Court
The legal battle has brought further details of the scandal to light. In documents filed with the Supreme Court, Cate Sayers claims that Luke Sayers informed the AFL’s integrity unit and Carlton officials, in his statutory declaration, that she had accessed his account without his knowledge and posted “a photograph of Luke’s penis on his X account.”
Cate Sayers contends that this statement defamed her by implying she was “mentally disturbed.” She further alleges that Luke Sayers actively sought to exclude her from the investigation, requesting that AFL investigators not interview her or contact Victoria Police. This, she claims, effectively shut her out of the probe and denied her any opportunity to respond to the allegations made against her.
In his defence, filed this week, Luke Sayers has put forward his own allegations. He claims that he and his wife were the only individuals aware of the photograph prior to its online publication. He further alleges that, in the aftermath of the lewd photo appearing online, Cate Sayers made a statement to him along the lines of: “Let’s see how you get out of this one.”
The court has been informed that lawyers for Cate Sayers are pushing for the claims to be heard by a jury. A five-day trial is currently slated for November, promising further revelations in this high-profile dispute.
