Carlton interim boss speaks for first time since Luke Sayers quit in wake of lewd photo scandal
Carlton interim president Patty Kinnersly has spoken publicly for the first time since former boss Luke Sayers quit in the wake of the nude photo scandal.
A graphic image of a penis was uploaded to Sayers’ personal X (formerly Twitter) account and a senior female executive from club sponsor Bupa was tagged in the post.
The tweet was deleted a short time later, with Sayers claiming his account had been hacked.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.A subsequent AFL investigation found Sayers didn’t make the post, but he still stepped down effective immediately, with vice-presidents Kinnersly and Robert Priestley stepping up as interim leaders.
On Sunday, the Blues’ planned Run for Respect went ahead, but without the support of major club sponsor Bupa, who pulled out as naming partner in the wake of the scandal.
The future of Bupa’s relationship with Carlton remains up in the air, but Kinnersly said there are still plans this year.
“It’s a great way to demonstrate to the community, our sponsors that we’re a really strong and unified club,” Kinnersly said.
“We’ve got a really strong relationship with Bupa and they’ve been particularly supportive of Carlton Respects.
“We’re working really closely with them. We’ve got a lot of work in the pipeline with them this year.”
Carlton are expected to announce their new president in the coming months and it’s unlikely to be an external candidate.
“We’re really focused on stability, continuing where we’re up to, so at this point were looking internally,” Kinnersly added.
Sunday’s fundraiser is aimed at preventing family violence, helping educate up to 6000 students.
“The real focus on respectful relationships, education and also to challenging sexism and disrespect,” Kinnersly added.
The cause is close to the heart of club cult hero Denis Armfield, whose partner experienced domestic violence before they met.
“I think look it’s not just the actual moment it’s the longevity of that, it’s the narrative behind that,” he said.
Originally published on 7NEWS Sport
