Welcome back to the Code Sports Integrity Unit podcast, where on today’s show Michael Warner and Seb Costello digest the end of one of footy’s most sordid episodes.
Warner details his belief that Ms Sayers could still pursue the league over its handling of the investigation surrounding her ex-husband.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE OF THE INTEGRITY UNIT IN THE PLAYER ABOVE
“There’s no way that settlement that they did on Friday, which conveniently came about a quarter of the way through the big NFL game in Melbourne, would have given any protections or releases to the AFL for their conduct in this,” Warner says.
“So the door would be ajar, I’d imagine, if she wanted to take on the AFL. Maybe she won’t, but they shouldn’t be as smug as they currently are because that is something that she could still do if she wants to …
“The documents that would have come out in this hearing, don’t forget, this was settled five minutes before a hearing in the Supreme Court around the privilege, the documents that had been subpoenaed, which would have showed you the whole picture of how from start to finish the AFL helped Luke Sayers get off, OK?
“So that if the fullness of those documents was to come to light you would have a damages case against the AFL, a conspiracy case against AFL. So 100 per cent. I don’t think she’ll have the appetite to do it, but make no mistake Cate Sayers won this battle against her husband and the AFL, and they have been left humiliated, both he and the AFL.”
Costello also drops a bomb that ends Gerard Whateley’s record-breaking run of 12-straight AFL Coaches’ Association media awards dating back to 2014.
“Unfortunately, football’s undertaker is experiencing the end of his streak,” Costello says.
“There is no coaches’ association media award this year.
“They (the AFLCA) tell me quite reliably that they’re going to focus on their core business, which is the best player and the best coach, but no best journalist or best reporter.”
Warner also revealed some growing unrest around remuneration at SEN’s popular radio program, Fireball, hosted by Kane Cornes and David King.
“There’s a lot of money going around, and I think people think maybe too much of it’s going into the boss’s pocket and not into theirs,” Warner says.
“Is Kingy getting bang for his buck, and is there some unrest?”
The Integrity Unit focused on the lack of interest from most of the football media regarding the Sayers settlement and its ramifications on those who led the AFL’s investigation into the posting of the “dick pic” on Luke Sayers’ social media account in January last year.
Warner reveals he spoke to Andy Schmulow, who gave parliamentary evidence against PwC chiefs, including Mr Sayers in the 2024 tax leaks scandal.
Mr Schmulow, a banking and financial governance expert at the University of Wollongong, has questioned why Mr Sayers’ now discredited statutory declaration was not referred to Victoria Police by the AFL “first thing on Monday morning”.
“Lying on a statutory declaration can attract a prison sentence of up to five years. If it is found to be true, it is a criminal offence,” Mr Schmulow said.
“Did the AFL integrity unit report this matter for investigation to Victoria Police first thing on Monday morning – and if not – why not?
Mr Sayers apologised “unreservedly” in the Supreme Court on Friday for the hurt caused by the suggestion his ex-wife had posted an image of his penis on his social media account out of vengeance last January.
Mr Schmulow said the 2009 jailing of Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld showed the importance of being truthful when making statutory declarations.
“Marcus Einfeld was a Federal Court judge who lied on a stat dec over a $77 speeding fine,” said Prof Schmulow.
“He said that his colleague was driving his car and somebody at civic compliance googled her name and found that she had dropped dead months before the fine was issued.
“Einfeld was sent to jail for three years. So are we now to understand that Luke Sayers is not going to be investigated?
“It’s outrageous.”
Asked about Ms Sayers’ claims that senior AFL figures had colluded with Mr Sayers and his camp to help clear him of the scandal, Prof Schmulow said: “Well, I assume the title of the AFL Integrity Unit is meant to be ironic.
“Those footy boof heads wouldn’t know integrity if it slapped them in the face.
“Do you remember when Andrew Demetriou appeared before the Bergin inquiry (into Crown casino’s suitability to hold a gaming licence) and he was caught reading off a Wikipedia page what the role of an independent director was?”