Charges over theft of AFL player's Porsche

A man has been charged over stealing a luxury car from the Melbourne home of an AFL player and allegedly leading police on a wild chase through the eastern suburbs.

Two men were arrested after the Porsche Macan was stolen from Hawthorn midfielder Brendan Whitecross' eastern suburbs home and abandoned at the Glen Waverley Shopping Centre.

Whitecross woke about 2am on Tuesday when the family dog started barking at two intruders inside the Croydon house.

He chased them to the door and prepared to fight, figuring "if I could handle Hodgey (teammate Luke Hodge) when he's a bit fired up then I could handle anybody".

"They tried to get out of the front door, but that was still locked, then they sort of Supermanned through the front window," he told reporters.

They drove off in a getaway car before doing a u-turn, heading back to the house where one of the men stole the Porsche.

They then led police on a chase through the eastern suburbs.

Whitecross, his partner and two young children were unharmed.

A 21-year-old Wantirna man has been charged with aggravated burglary, theft and theft of motor vehicle and will appear at the Ringwood Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

A 20-year-old man remains in hospital under police guard and is yet to be interviewed.

A third man arrested was released after police decided he was not involved in the incident.

Police are still searching for a third person who fled from the Porsche.