Former NRL player David Mead confronted intruders after a break-in attempt at his family home in the early hours.
He and his family were sleeping when noises roused them shortly before 2am.
Mead discovered the front door wide open, rushed downstairs and went after two people who were trying to leave the property.
He was able to stop them long enough to chase them off before they got into a car and drove away.
The former Brisbane Broncos winger later spoke about the incident in a video shared on social media on Monday.
"I panicked, adrenaline took over, and I screamed WTF in a much stronger tone," Mead revealed on social media.
After getting downstairs, Mead explains, "I was still half asleep at this point.
I was still trying to work out my coordinates and bearings in my mind."
"I turned left cause I heard the [first] car screech, and by the time I turned the corner, the second one was taking off before I could get to them."
In the six-minute clip the 37-year-old offers his thoughts on how he reacted and suggests ways to handle a similar situation in future.
He reflects on what he would do differently next time and stresses caution when confronting intruders.
"I know instincts take over, it's fight or flight, we all react differently...make the physical confrontation as limited as possible.