"It could be [mistaken identity]. And again that's one of the avenues of inquiries that we're looking at. It could be related to his employ, it could be related to his social network, it could be mistaken identity." Investigators have revealed more than an hour of movements through Melbourne's outer-eastern suburbs before police lost track of the suspects at Marie Wallace Bayswater Park (Bayswater Reserve) at about 3.17am. It's believed multiple offenders followed Mr Virgona in a C200 Mercedes sedan with the plates AZE110 from his Croydon home as he drove to work, and hunted him down on the freeway. The Mercedes was then burnt out in Jaxlee Court in Mooroolbark about 2.50am and it's believed the offenders fled from there in a Volkswagen Amarok ute with the number plates IMC9PG. A body has been found in a van sprayed with bullets at Donvale. Credit:Nine News

Police chased the ute down Windermere Drive in Ferntree Gully but lost the two men when they dumped the ute at Mountain Highway and Scoresby Road and ran into Marie Wallace Bayswater Park at about 3.17am. The air wing, dog squad and critical incident response team scoured the area but failed to find the men. The park was again searched on Sunday. Detective Inspector Day appealed for residents near the Bayswater Reserve, and motorists who may have captured the vehicles on their dashcam, to contact police.

"Local residents in the vicinity of the park that saw or heard anything between 3.15am and 4.30am on Saturday or have CCTV and have not yet been spoken to by police, I need them to contact Crime Stoppers," he said. "The second part is, anybody driving in these eastern suburbs, from Mooroolbark, Croydon, to Donvale and south down through Boronia, Bayswater and down as far as Ferntree Gully [between 1am and 3.30am] we really need you to check your dashcam footage." He asked dashcam owners to look for: The Mercedes sedan with number plates AZE 110

Mr Virgona's white VW van with the plates ABE 158, and

The VW grey Amarok, registered 1MC 9PG Detective Inspector Day said police were still looking for a motive but investigators were considering whether his wholesale fruit and vegetable company was having issues with underworld figures.

"I think that's too early to tell," Detective Inspector Day told ABC Melbourne radio on Monday. "That is the first thing that goes through your mind. "That's one avenue we're looking at, in terms of whether or not Paul was having issues in that regard, whether or not it's a case of mistaken identity, all of those. "We keep that open mind and try and work through – as we call it – victimology to try to find a motive and work out why Paul was targeted."

He told reporters it was not believed the attack was random. "The fact is there's no suggestion whatsoever that there's people out there randomly shooting at motor vehicles. There would be a reason for this, we're just trying to establish it," he said. A ute is seen on the Mountain Highway in Bayswater. Credit:AAP The local football community was coming to terms with the killing on Monday. Mr Virgona had recently been appointed coach of the Croydon Football and Netball Club's Under 19 team for the 2020 season.

He was previously a development coach with the Eastern Ranges in the NAB League and an assistant coach at Knox Football Club. Croydon Football Club president Anthony Thompson told The Age Mr Virgona "seemed like a quiet family guy". Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video "I'd only met him a couple of times because he was only new to the club but he'd been down to meet the players," Mr Thompson said. "We're all quite shocked. He had a couple of kids. It's really quite sad."

Croydon Football on Monday posted a statement saying they were "deeply saddened and shocked". "Paul was very passionate about football and looking forward to the upcoming season." Police conduct a line search at Dandenong Creek in Bayswater on Saturday, after a man was found dead in a van on the EastLink Freeway Credit:AAP The club said Mr Virgona donated fruit to its games throughout the season. "Our thoughts are with Paul’s family and friends and all those at the Eastern Ranges who have known him through his involvement in football in the region," a club statement said.