By Cassie Maher
WYNDHAM Vale Falcons Football Club wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Or should that be a gift gnome?
Star reported on the club two weeks ago after a ‘team’ of garden gnomes, stolen from across Wyndham, were placed around the goal square of the Falcons’ football oval.
“We still have no idea who did it,” club president Scott Crawford said.
But the joke was no longer on the Falcons.
Not long after the incident, the club contacted Bunnings in Hoppers Crossing about a sponsorship deal.
“Bunnings have donated some gnomes for us to raffle off and make a bit of money for the club,” Mr Crawford said.
“They will also give us some mulch and equipment and things like that.”
Bunnings’ Hoppers Crossing manager Brendan Kors said the opportunity was too good to ignore.
“Through the sponsorship with the club we can support the community,” he said.
Although the donated gnomes from Bunnings have found a temporary home in the Falcon clubrooms, the original group of gnomes has not been so lucky.
“No one has come to claim the gnomes yet,” said Werribee Police property officer Jane Batties.
“People have called with descriptions of their missing gnomes but, surprisingly, none have matched the ones here.”