Hawthorn star Brendan Whitecross says his "scary" encounter with up to five men who broke into his home, as his children slept, and stole his fiancee's Porsche could have been a lot worse.
The midfielder started leaving his car keys at the front door of his Croydon home after members of his family were robbed in a violent home invasion two years ago.
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Arrests after high-speed Porsche chase
Three men caught after allegedly stealing a Porsche and leading police on a chase across Melbourne. Vision courtesy Seven News.
He and his partner became the latest victims in a spate of home invasions across Melbourne early on Tuesday morning.
"If anyone wants to come and get the keys, they are more than happy to do that as long as they don't bother us," he said.
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"[We leave them at the front door] instead of hiding them and having them come and harass us and potentially cause some harm."
Whitecross said his adrenaline was pumping as he ran down the stairs after his barking dogs alerted him to the intruders.
"You always hear about them – those fight or flight situations – but until you are faced with one, you don't really know what to do or what expect," he said.
"It was a matter of getting whoever was in the house out and making sure the Mrs and the kids were fine and that they weren't going to be harmed at all."
Police said the men fled, jumping into a dark-coloured getaway car that raced up the road.
But just as the couple thought they were safe, they watched the car pull a sharp U-turn and head back toward them.
One of the men jumped out, used the set of keys stolen from inside the home, and jumped into the front seat of the Porsche Macan.
The men then allegedly led police on a long high-speed police chase after the luxury car was spotted in Dandenong.
The Porsche fled down the emergency lane of the Monash Freeway while being pursued by police cars and a helicopter before it was dumped at The Glen Shopping Centre in Glen Waverley.
Two alleged offenders tried to flee on foot, but were quickly arrested.
A Wantirna man, 21, has been charged with aggravated burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft.
A Wantirna South man, 20, is in hospital under police guard and is yet to be interviewed.
A third man is still at large.
Victoria Police changed its information after earlier saying that the 20-year-old man had been charged, and that the third man had been arrested.
Whitecross said he didn't get a good look at the men but believed they could have been under the influence of drugs as they entered his home on The Range Boulevard about 2.30am.
He said he believed the crime was opportunistic when they saw his cars, usually kept in the garage, parked out the front.
Whitecross said the intruders seemed just as scared as he was as they floundered, accidently locking themselves inside the house before attempting to "Superman" out the window.
"Looking back now, it's a bit funny to watch but at the time, you don't think about it, you just want to get them out," he said.
"They didn't expect anyone to be home, so it was a bit amateurish, it wasn't planned or anything."
Both cars then raced away. Police later found the dark-coloured car, which had previously been reported as stolen, burnt out a short distance from the scene.
The house where two men broke in and stole a $130,000 Porsche is that of Hawthorn player Brendan Whitecross @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/dztPKcG97Y
— Kieran Jones (@kieranjones_9) December 5, 2016
#BREAKING - Caller says stolen Porsche just turned into Bowmore Rd Noble Park toward Dandenong ...
— 3AW Breakfast (@RossAndJohn) December 5, 2016
#BREAKING: Caller Darren say police chopper hovering over Heatherton Rd Dandenong, not sure if that is related to stolen Porsche
— 3AW Breakfast (@RossAndJohn) December 5, 2016
Stolen Porsche last seen entering carpark at the Glen shopping centre @7NewsMelbourne
— Estelle Griepink (@EstelleGriepink) December 5, 2016
Stolen #Porsche Maccan was on emergency lane of Monash inbound. Now northbound on Springvale rd. @9NewsMelb @9NewsAUS pic.twitter.com/2fRpMT8B8F
— Kate McGrath (@KateMcG6) December 5, 2016
Video has emerged of a sedan being torched after being used as getaway in Porsche 4WD theft. Porsche and thieves still on the run @9NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/zSPmYEfWCf
— Kieran Jones (@kieranjones_9) December 5, 2016
Police are asking anyone with more information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.