Grieving friends of Cooper Ratten, 16, gathered at the Yarra Glen football oval on Sunday, where he had won a game with his mates only a day earlier, and shared memories of the beloved player.

"This world is so cruel," his girlfriend wrote in a Facebook tribute to Cooper. "My boyfriend, now my angel forever."

The teenager was with two friends in a car, believed to be stolen, which was travelling more than 100kmh through heavy fog at 3am when it veered off a bend north-east of Melbourne and rolled multiple times, police said.

Cooper, who was sitting in the back seat, was likely not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown more than 40 metres from the crash site on Glenview Road in Yarra Glen, police said.

He died on the way to hospital.

His two friends, both 17, from Healesville and Yarra Glen, were taken to separate hospitals for treatment of minor injuries. Both were too young to hold a driver's licence and are being held in police custody.

Police detective sergeant David Yeoman said speed was an obvious factor in the crash, which could have easily killed all three teenagers.

"It was an absolute miracle that two people got out of that car alive," he said at the scene.

"Driving is not a game. You don't go for a joyride under these circumstances. It has tragic consequences with very severe custodial sentences attached to them."

He said the two injured teenagers will be interviewed at a later date for offences ranging from culpable driving to theft of a motor vehicle and drug or alcohol offences.

The fatal crash prompted the AFL community to offer its support to Ratten and his family.

"The thoughts and prayers of all connected with the club are with the Ratten family, friends and the Yarra Glen football community at this extremely difficult time," the Carlton Football Club, where Ratten was coach for five years, said in a written statement.

Hawthorn said it was deeply saddened to hear about the crash: "The club asks that media respect Brett's and the family's privacy at this tragic time."

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Yarra Glen Football Club president Vincent Erickson said Cooper and his two mates had been playing in a game on Saturday morning.

The club then held a function on Saturday night, he said, which wrapped up around midnight.

He said he drove the three boys to a home after the event and could not understand how they ended up on the road three hours later.

"It's a road to nowhere," he said. "They would not have been going anywhere."

He said counselling will be offered to club members and their families.

"It's a tough day for the club. We've just got to get behind each other. Our thoughts are with the families who have been directly impacted by this tragedy."

Adam Easton, the boy's under-18 coach, joined dozens of others at the oval on Sunday upon hearing about the fatal crash.

The group huddled, hugged and listened to their teammate Cooper's favourite songs.

"We're a very tight-knit community and family - and a very strong footy club," he said.

"We're all grieving at the moment. Nothing else needs to be said."

The group had picked that spot on the oval to remember the teenager because it's where he had scored his first goal.

It was known as Cooper's Corner.

With Neelima Choahan