Luke Sayers and new girlfriend step out among powerbrokers at Million Dollar Lunch

Embattled business identity Luke Sayers has been flying under the social scene radar since his lewd photo scandal, divorce and the high-stakes defamation action launched against him by his ex-wife Cate erupted into the public sphere. So it was a surprise when the former Carlton president turned up the Million Dollar Lunch on Friday.

The lunch is one of Melbourne’s most enduring power networking events, is flooded with bold-type names and is awash with media. So Sayers and his striking blonde marketing manager girlfriend, Alexandra Elms , were hardly going to escape notice.

Handily, Sayers arrived late to the event at the Crown Palladium, which meant he avoided the pesky media wall and photographers, and he and Elms were seated with property development company Bonleaf rather than on the table of Tenet, the advisory company that he founded .

CBD popped over for a bit of a chat with the former PwC Australia chief executive and his alluring partner, but after a quick handshake Sayers dropped his head and ducked off without uttering a word, while Elms took off in the opposite direction like an Olympic sprinter. Very odd.

Sayers was later spotted in conversation with Australian Grand Prix chair Martin Pakula , wrapping an arm around Pakula’s shoulders and laughing loudly.

Sayers was one of 762 guests who made their way past giant Alice in Wonderland-type flowers, a ballerina and two human Grecian statues before walking through an emerald velvet-draped entrance to the garden party-themed fundraiser for the Children’s Cancer Foundation.

The event was busting with Melbourne decision-makers and powerbrokers and, for good measure, a couple of billionaires – hello, Dennis Bastas and Rick Smith .

As CBD predicted, plenty of guests made a beeline to Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo , who is just two weeks into his new role. Abdo was spotted chatting with Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry boss Sally Curtain and was later in conversation with Lord Mayor Nick Reece .

The political class was well represented, with Major Events and Racing Minister Anthony Carbines , Opposition Leader Jess Wilson , Liberal MPs Georgie Crozier and Brad Rosewell , and One Nation’s Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell all in attendance.

Seated next to Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers was Lexus Australia’s new chief executive, Jack Hobbs , who moved into the top job in January and will be a fixture at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week in November at the car brand’s famous marquee.

Jayco boss Gerry Ryan dug deep, pledging $50,000 to the Children’s Cancer Foundation, a gift that was matched by Bastas and then Smith’s Highland Foundation.

Also among the guests were VRC chair Neil Wilson , Australian Grand Prix chief executive Travis Auld , Crown Resorts executives David Tsai and Ed Domingo , Racing Victoria chief executive Aaron Morrison , Mitchelton Group chief Andy Ryan and Melbourne Storm chief executive Justin Rodski .