Luke Sayers: Carlton president steps down after AFL makes ruling on X account photo post

Carlton president Luke Sayers has stepped down from his position, moments after the AFL made a ruling on its investigation into a nude photo posted to his X account.

Sayers, who has served on the Carlton board since 2012 and took over the reins as president in 2021, has faced pressure on his position after a lewd photo was posted on his social media account last week.

Sayers, who was on holiday in Italy at the time the image of a penis was published, had vehemently denied posting the photo and tagging a female executive at the Club’s sponsor Bupa, saying he was hacked.

The matter was reported to the AFL Integrity Unit, which launched a probe into the matter.

The AFL revealed the results of their investigation on Wednesday, finding Sayers’ account had been “compromised”, clearing the Carlton boss of breaching AFL Rules.

However, Carlton confirmed in a statement barely an hour later Sayers had informed the Board he would be stepping down from his role as president, effective immediately.

The statement also said Sayers had made the decision “in the best interests of the club” and had the Blues’ full backing while a statement from the man himself stated “this decision draws a line in the sand” on the issue.

“Leading the Carlton Football Club has been one of the great honours and privileges of my life,” Sayers said.

“I leave knowing the club is in great shape, and with my deepest gratitude for its understanding and support.

“I deeply regret that many other people, including my family, friends and colleagues and the football club, have been caught up in this matter.

“I will now deal with this away from the glare of the public and media spotlight.”

Sayers says he will now prioritise spending time with his family but is also a high-flyer in the business world.

The former PwC CEO started his own Melbourne-based investment firm, the Sayers Group, in 2020 and is believed to have a net worth of more than $50 million.

Earlier, the AFL revealed that after multiple interviews, they had found Sayers was not responsible for posting the image to his X account. They thanked all involved for taking action to limit the damage from the post.

“The Integrity Unit’s inquiries, which included multiple interviews and review of other evidence, have now concluded, and the AFL has found, based on the available evidence, that access to Mr Sayers’ X account was compromised, resulting in the posting of the image (i.e. by a person not being Mr Sayers) and tagging of another person,” an AFL statement read.

“Accordingly, the AFL has determined that Mr Sayers did not breach AFL Rules in connection with the posting of the image.

“Once he was made aware of the post, Mr Sayers immediately acted to have the image removed and to shut down his X account.

“The AFL wishes to thank the executive who was unwittingly tagged in the post; her cooperation and assistance throughout the inquiries have been extremely helpful.

“The AFL takes all matters of respect and responsibility seriously and when alerted to matters of concern there are professional processes in place to triage and work through such matters.

“These matters are very sensitive in nature, and we acknowledge the effect and distress caused to numerous individuals beyond those bound by the AFL Rules and Regulations.”

Carlton Co Vice Presidents Robert Priestley and Patty Kinnersly will take over the presidency on an interim basis and thanked Sayers his tenure over 12 years. “On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, we would like to sincerely thank Luke for his significant service to the Club and for playing an integral role in setting the Club up for success and steering the Club in the strong position it now finds itself in,” they said.

The statement finished saying the Club considered the matter closed.

The Blues open their 2025 campaign with a Thursday night blockbuster with Richmond on March 13.