EXCLUSIVE — ESSENDON great Mark ‘Bomber’ Thompson has had his home raided as part of a wideranging Victoria Police investigation.

Detectives from Southern Metro Divisional Response Unit and Geelong Divisional Response Unit successfully executed a search warrant for the AFL great’s property in Port Melbourne on Friday, foxsports.com.au can reveal.

It’s believed police spent several hours at Thompson’s home, from 9.30am stretching into the afternoon.

Victoria Police confirmed to foxsports.com.au they searched a property owned by a 54-year-old man on Friday January 5. It’s understood that man is Bombers’ premiership captain Thompson.

Round 18

Footage has emerged of the moment that the raid was launched. Police are heard yelling: “Police! Don’t move!” repeatedly - WATCH BELOW.

Officials would not reveal what the purpose of their search was.

Victoria Police said no charges have been laid following the raid and Thompson did not return calls when contacted by foxsports.com.au.

Thompson’s current whereabouts is unknown, but it’s understood police will meet with Thompson face-to-face — as early as Tuesday — in Melbourne in relation to the raid.

A neighbour told the Herald Sun another man had been living at the property over the past few months and Thompson was seen only occasionally. He said he had seen numerous visitors coming and going during the final two weeks of last year.

Another neighbour said all police “took out was a few evidence bags. They didn’t look big”.

Thompson denied his home had been raided when contacted by Fairfax Media.

Geelong great Jimmy Bartel, who was coached by Thompson for over half of his brilliant AFL career, said the news was “incredibly unfortunate”.

“It’s hard to comment because we don’t know what’s going on, but it its disappointing that he has been involved with it,” Bartel told 3AW.

“Like everybody else, I’m just waiting to hear more.”

Last March Thompson pocketed $7 million after selling his stake in a farming property at Armstrong Creek.

In April, Thompson conceded the Essendon drug saga will “probably end up killing” him following the breakdown of his marriage to his second wife, Jana.

Thompson, who was Bombers’ assistant coach at the time, and later replaced James Hird at the helm, was fined $30,000 for his role in the saga.

“It just sits in my guts and churns and it still does and it’s going to probably end up killing me because I can’t let it go,” Thompson said at a Law Institute of Victoria event on drugs in sport.

“People tell me I’ve got to let it go, but I can’t.

“I don’t like the game anymore, I don’t want to work in the AFL system, I don’t want to associate with people. I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is.”

Thompson played 202 matches for Essendon from 1983 to 1996, winning three premierships with the club under Kevin Sheedy’s coaching.

He coached Geelong for 260 matches from 2000 to 2010, before leading Essendon in the 2014 season.