Carlton president Luke Sayers says he did not post a lewd image to his social media account on January 8 and is working with the club and AFL integrity unit to deal with the fallout from the incident he acknowledges has caused distress to everyone impacted.
A spokesperson for the Blues boss provided a statement outlining Sayers’ position in relation to the image that appeared on his social media account for 13 minutes before being taken down. Sayers said at the time he believed he had been hacked and would seek to find the culprit.
Luke Sayers is a former CEP of PwC Australia.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Immediately after the incident, the Blues referred the matter to the AFL integrity unit, which has been liaising with Sayers and Carlton, and providing support to the parties affected.
On Friday, a spokesperson for Sayers and the club moved to clarify the situation, emphasising their priority was supporting those affected.
“Mr Sayers did not post an image to his X account on 8 January 2025. When he was alerted that his social media had been hacked, he immediately disabled all of his accounts and engaged legal counsel. Mr Sayers acknowledges the distress of everyone impacted by this shocking incident,” the spokesperson said.
“Mr Sayers and the club have been engaging with the AFL integrity unit, and he will continue to deal with this issue without further public comment.”
The Blues and the AFL also emphasised in separate statements they were providing support to those involved, with Carlton releasing a statement confirming the AFL’s involvement since last week.
“The club notified the league last week and reached out to those involved, including individuals and corporate partners to provide care and support,” the statement said.
“Given the sensitive nature of this issue, the club acknowledges the effect and impact this has on individuals and will provide ongoing support to those involved.
“We will continue to cooperate with the AFL Integrity Unit and appreciate the patience required to work through this matter, an update will be provided by the club when in a position to do so.”
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