Former Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers has been photographed enjoying a weekend outing with his new partner, marketing manager Alexandra Elms, as his ongoing legal dispute with estranged wife Cate Sayers takes further dramatic turns. The couple were spotted casually dressed, collecting takeaway coffees at a cafe in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy before returning to Sayers' multimillion-dollar East Melbourne apartment.
Legal Battle Intensifies Over Explicit Photo Scandal
The public appearance comes amid escalating courtroom tensions between Sayers and his estranged wife, who launched a defamation lawsuit against him in January. The legal action centers on the widely publicized scandal from early last year involving an explicit photograph of Sayers' genitalia that was allegedly sent from his social media accounts to a female executive at one of Carlton's key sponsors.
Cate Sayers claims in court documents that her husband falsely implied she was responsible for publishing the graphic image. She alleges significant distress, hurt, and embarrassment from these implications, seeking damages through her legal representatives.
Court Venue Dispute Could Limit Media Coverage
In a significant development reported by News Corp, Sayers' legal team at Arnold Bloch Leibler is seeking to transfer the case from the Victorian Supreme Court to the Family Court. Such a move would substantially restrict media reporting on proceedings due to strict limitations governing Family Court coverage.
Cate Sayers' lawyers plan to subpoena correspondence from prominent AFL figures as part of their case. Court documents reportedly allege that the AFL colluded with Carlton and Luke Sayers to clear him of involvement in the scandal, potentially constituting a cover-up if proven true.
AFL Figures Drawn Into Legal Dispute
The football figures potentially involved include Sharon McCrohan, the AFL's executive general manager of corporate affairs, who reportedly served as a communications advisor to Sayers during the initial fallout from the photo incident. Correspondence from AFL general counsel Stephen Meade and former corporate affairs executive Brian Walsh is also said to be central to Mrs. Sayers' case.
Luke Sayers resigned as Carlton president on January 22 last year, just minutes after the AFL cleared him of any wrongdoing regarding the explicit photo. He had previously claimed hackers infiltrated his social media accounts to send the image.
New Relationship Details Emerge
Sayers' romance with Elms was first revealed by exclusive Daily Mail photographs last month showing the couple strolling hand-in-hand through a park near his apartment, accompanied by his daughter Claudia. The relationship appears sufficiently established for Sayers' daughter Bronte to follow Elms on Instagram.
Elms previously dated V8 Supercars driver James Courtney in 2019, following Courtney's highly publicized split from ex-wife Carys. Courtney's relationship with Carys ended amid tabloid attention when she quickly moved on with Stu Laundy of the prominent Laundy Hotels family.
Sources indicate Sayers had been in a relationship with another Melbourne professional woman following his separation from Cate, but that relationship ended last year. When approached by media about his new romance last month, Sayers declined to comment.
Cate Sayers, founder and director of a not-for-profit organization providing fitness programs for people with Down syndrome, continues to pursue her defamation claim. A representative for Luke Sayers stated in January that he "rejects the claims being made against him" as the legal battle continues to unfold.
