AFL Chief Defends New Hire Amidst Former President’s Scandal
Andrew Dillon, the chief executive of the Australian Football League (AFL), has publicly defended the integrity of Sharon McCrohan, the league’s new corporate communications boss. McCrohan’s appointment has drawn scrutiny due to her previous role as an advisor to former Carlton Football Club president, Luke Sayers, during a highly publicised lewd picture scandal.
McCrohan, known for her extensive connections, is still in the early stages of her tenure at AFL headquarters. Last year, she served as Sayers’ media advisor amidst a scandal involving an explicit image that appeared on his X (formerly Twitter) account. This incident has since escalated, with Luke Sayers’ estranged wife, Cate Sayers, launching defamation proceedings against him in the Victorian Supreme Court.
The Scandal Unfolds
The controversy surrounding Luke Sayers began in January of last year. While McCrohan was advising him, an explicit image of a penis appeared on Sayers’ X account, tagging an executive from the health insurance giant, Bupa. The post was swiftly removed, approximately 15 minutes after its appearance. Sayers initially claimed his account had been hacked, later stating the photograph was taken for medical purposes.
Following an investigation by the AFL’s integrity unit, Sayers was cleared, and the inquiry was closed after he provided a statutory declaration to the league. Shortly after this, he resigned from his position as Carlton president.
AFL CEO Stands Firm on Investigation Integrity
In a series of radio interviews conducted on Saturday, Andrew Dillon firmly denied that the AFL’s investigation into the lewd photo incident had been compromised by the explosive claims now being made by Luke and Cate Sayers in court.
“Not at all,” Dillon stated emphatically when speaking on Melbourne radio station 3AW.
Court documents reveal Luke Sayers’ allegations that his former wife deliberately stole emails, text messages, and photographs from his phone. He claims she then used this material to initiate defamation proceedings against him, following his decision to provide personal information about her to the AFL’s integrity unit during their probe into the lewd photo.
When questioned whether McCrohan’s involvement in the saga had also tarnished her reputation, Dillon reiterated his stance: “Not at all.”
McCrohan was approached for comment regarding the situation. An AFL spokesman, Jay Allen, issued a brief statement: “The matter between Mr and Mrs Sayers is currently before the courts.”
Dillon, however, maintained that the league’s investigation had been conducted with thoroughness and impartiality.
“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,” Dillon asserted. He also noted, “Luke is no longer the Carlton president. He is no longer under the purview of the AFL.”
Allegations and Counter-Allegations in Court
The legal battle has brought further details to light through documents filed in the Supreme Court. Cate Sayers has alleged that her estranged husband informed the AFL’s integrity unit and Carlton officials, within his statutory declaration, that she had accessed his account without his knowledge and subsequently posted “a photograph of Luke’s penis on his X account.”
She claims this statement constituted defamation, as it implied she was “mentally disturbed.”
In her statement of claim, Cate Sayers further alleged that Luke Sayers specifically requested AFL investigators not to interview his wife or contact Victoria Police. She contends this effectively excluded her from the investigation and “removing any opportunity for Cate to respond to the allegations made by Luke in it.”
Luke Sayers, in his defence filed this week, has countered by alleging that he and his wife were the sole individuals aware of the photograph’s existence before it was published online.
He has also claimed that, on the day following the online publication of the lewd image, Cate Sayers remarked to him words to the effect of: “Let’s see how you get out of this one.”
During a brief court hearing on Friday, legal representatives for Cate Sayers advocated for the case to be heard by a jury, with a five-day trial currently slated for November.
