Western Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood’s 2016 premiership medal stolen
Western Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood’s premiership medal has been stolen during a burglary in Albert Park.
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Western Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood has pleaded for his stolen 2016 premiership medal to be returned.
The police are investigating after the medal was taken during a burglary at Wood’s Albert Park home.
Wood’s 2016 premiership medal and a 2016 premiership watch were among the items with great sentimental value stolen.
The Bulldogs defender and wife Tiffany discovered they had been robbed when they returned home on Sunday night, after self-isolating at his mother’s country property.
Police said there were no signs of forced entry and the intruders spent some time ransacking inside before making off with stolen items in a washing basket.
Among other items stolen were jewellery and a drone.
Wood and his family had been isolating at a family property and were shocked to find their belongings, which carry great sentimental value, missing and the house in disarray.
“It’s something you can’t replace,” Mr Wood said of his 2016 Premiership medal.
“It is a medal that is a symbol of everything of all my hard work over a career and what we achieved as a team in 2016.
“Its awful to have that symbol gone, I was hoping to that be passed down to Matilda and her kids, it is really upsetting.
“The feeling of someone going through your things, the huge sentimental value, the irreplaceable nature of it. It was really heartbreaking.”
Port Phillip Crime Investigation Unit detectives believe the couple’s home was burgled sometime between 12am on April 14 and 5.30pm on April 26.
The Tissot 1853 Chronographic Automatic watch was still inside its box and is engraved with ‘AFL 2016 Premiers’ on the back.
Mr Wood’s partner Tiffany said the silver WW1 dog tag belonged to her great grandfather who had served in Gallipoli.
It is engraved with ‘Sayers SA 1830’ on the front and ‘Nugget’ on the back.
“It is deeply sentimental, a deeply personal item of property that is completely worthless to someone else,” she said.
“To me it is so important. It is a horrible feeling, I don’t think anyone wants to know there has been a random going through your house.”
Ms Wood said her great grandfather had received a gunshot wound to the eye while serving for Australia and she had taken it back to Gallipoli for the Anzac Day centenary memorial.
Detective Sergeant Adam Vohmann said it was likely the burglar may have used a washing basket to carry the stolen goods from the home.
“It’s something that is on the rarer side of things,” Det Sgt Vogmann said.
“It is an opportunistic occasion when the offenders have taken the chance to break into the house, search through the house methodically and steal the property.”
The Albert Park home had no signs of forced entry and police said it was not a targeted attack.
However Mr Wood said he had been posting on social media from Camperdown which may have led thieves to the unattended home.
Detectives have canvassed the area for CCTV and will engage with eBay, Gumtree and war memorabilia retailers.
“This is not the type of item you can easily get rid of,” Det Sgt Vogmann said.
Ms Wood has pleaded to the thieves to return the items: “Throw it over the fence, we don’t care.”
Anyone with information should contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000 or www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
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