By Rowan Forster
The Berwick Junior Football Club president has spoken of her devastation after a group of brazen thieves infiltrated her property, stealing a Honda Odyssey and 300 guernseys – valued at over $20,000 – which were stored inside.
Wendy Williams, who runs underage competition at the club, said the theft has come as a huge blow to the struggling grassroots side.
Police say the car, and jumpers inside, were stolen during the early hours of Tuesday morning from a property in Berwick.
In a stunning revelation, Ms Williams told the Gazette that the perpetrators lifted an automatic gate off its hinges to reach the vehicle.
“It has been such a devastating time for me,” she said.
“I don’t even care about the car as much as I care about the kids’ jumpers.
“They cost so much to order and whilst they’re extremely important to us, these are of no value to the thieves.”
Club officials suspect the jumpers may have been dumped after the car was stolen.
Shortly after the theft, the culprits were observed pulling into a service station in Narre Warren.
Police are investigating the lead.
“I only recently found out that they (jumpers) wouldn’t be covered by insurance,” she said.
“I can’t afford to pay for it all.”
The club president had loaded the jumpers into her black station-wagon in preparation for a meeting with the vice president the following day.
“I’ve had the jumpers from early in the season because we wanted to sort them and count them,” she said.
“I was going to do that with him on Wednesday.”
Those in the community are being urged to look out for a large clear plastic storage container, a cardboard box and several oversized enviro-bags – all of which contained the guernseys.
Latrobe MP Jason Wood, who has been fighting alongside the club to secure federal funding, described the theft as “awful”.
“The thing I admire is that she wasn’t concerned about her car at all, she was just worried about the kids’ jumpers.
“Here she is, she’s a volunteer putting her heart and soul into junior footy and she’s stressed out and feels personality responsible.
“She shouldn’t feel responsible.
“If they open up the boot, and most crooks do, they’d see the jumpers. Have a bit of heart and return the jumpers, put them somewhere where they can be found.”
The vehicle, a black Honda Odyssey, had the number plate URR 805.
Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
