Carlton footy boss Luke Sayers' wife leaves him after 'd*** pic' scandal that cost him his job - as he steps out with a mystery blonde woman

Former Carlton president Luke Sayers has been sighted on a dinner date with a mystery woman after his wife left him as a result of the lewd photo scandal that saw him resign from his job with the powerful AFL club.

A friend of the Sayers family said Cate Sayers left her husband in order to put their children first after the publication of the graphic sexual image on January 9.

'Cate is a strong person, but also a realist,' the friend told News Corp.

'She has understandably prioritised protecting the family. Now she knows it is the right time for a fresh start.'

The news comes as Sayers was pictured having a meal with an unnamed blonde woman at Melbourne's Geppetto Trattoria restaurant on Tuesday night.

Sayers has also started the process of buying a bachelor pad apartment in the inner city, according to the publication.

Sayers' wife Cate (pictured) has split with him after he stepped down from his role with the club as a result of the scandal surrounding the publication of a graphic sexual image from his X account in January

Photos and video show Sayers and the woman smiling as they clinked wine glasses at the intimate eatery, with the pair leaving together after a two-hour meal.

The former president was dressed in jeans, brown boots and a navy blue collared T-shirt, with his companion clad in a long, tan trenchcoat that covered her red dress.

Sayers quit his post with the Blues effective immediately on January 22, with the announcement coming just minutes after the AFL Integrity Unit found he was not responsible for the sending of the sexual image.

The former PWC chief executive's X account posted an image of a mystery man's penis, and tagged the account of a top female management figure with a company linked to Carlton at 5.41pm on January 9.

The public post was directed at the executive's social media account, although the mother-of-two does not appear to have used X since 2017 and does not follow Mr Sayers on the platform.

Sayers noticed the development after the photo had been online for 12 minutes, at which point he hastily deleted the image and apologised to his followers, stating he had been targeted by cyber criminals.

'Sorry, my account has been hacked - please ignore all posts,' he wrote.

The married father-of-four's account, which had more than 7,300 followers, was deleted but the post had already been reposted and screen-grabbed by other X users.

Luke and Cate Sayers (pictured left and second from left with Carlton CEO Brian Cook and his partner) have four children

When the scandal broke, Sayers said he was 'outraged' by the publication of the photo and would 'leave no stone unturned finding out who did this to me and my family'

He told Daily Mail Australia he was 'outraged' by the alleged attack when the news first broke.

'This is outrageous. I'm investigating and will leave no stone unturned finding out who did this to me and my family,' he said.

Sayers had been with the club for 12 years before stepping down.

The AFL and Carlton later said his account was compromised and no further investigation would take place.

The fallout from the scandal didn't stop there, with a club sponsor pulling out of an event that was run by Carlton and Sayers also stepping back from another post.

It emerged that Bupa cancelled its naming rights arrangement for the team's Run for Respect charity event on February 2.

However, a company spokesperson confirmed Bupa will continue its relationship with Carltong, adding, 'Bupa continues to prioritise the wellbeing, privacy and safety of our employee.'

In addition to quitting as Blues president, Sayers also announced he would step back as chairman of his consulting company, Sayers Group - but at the time of writing, he is still listed as chairman on the business's website.

Daily Mail Australia has approached Mr Sayers for comment.

Sayers reportedly failed to answer questions for a week after the scandal broke and there were calls for him to stand down from the top job at Carlton until the matter was investigated, and it was also claimed that he disconnected his phone.

He had been criticised for the delay in making his first statement about the scandal while he was in Europe on a luxurious family holiday with his wife and daughters.

Sayers made an emotional announcement confirming the end of his reign at the Blues.

There was further fallout from the scandal when a club sponsor pulled out of its naming rights arrangement for a Carlton charity event (Luke Sayers is pictured)

Sayers (pictured second from left with star player Tom De Koning, left, Blues fan and music superstar Robbie Williams, second from right, and Carlton coach Michael Voss, right) spent 12 years with the Blues

'Leading the Carlton Football Club has been one of the great honours and privileges of my life,' he said.

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

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

'The past two weeks have been very tough for everyone who has been impacted by an unauthorised social media post.

'I did not post the image, either deliberately or accidentally ... I am aware of speculation that the naming of another person in the post explains why it happened.

'It does not, and that narrative is wrong.'

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