Former AFL great, ex Adelaide Crows and Fremantle Dockers player critically injured in cattle truck crash in South Australia
There are serious fears for football star Tony Modra after he was involved in a serious truck crash south of Adelaide on Thursday.
At around 5.15pm local time, police and emergency services responded to reports that a truck had crashed into a tree on Range Road, Back Valley, approximately 10 kilometers west of Victor Harbour.
Modra, who worked as a cattle farmer on his property in Waitpinga, was the sole occupant of the cattle truck involved.
The 57-year-old man was flown to Flinders Medical Centre.
Known for his high grades and being one of the most popular players of the 1990s, Modra played in 165 AFL matches and kicked 588 goals. He played 118 of these for Adelaide, scoring 440 goals, the second most in the club’s history after Taylor Walker, and scored 148 goals in just 47 games with Fremantle.
His impact on the Dockers was so great that in 2019 he was named as a full forward in the “25 since 95” team celebrating its first 25 years in the national competition.
Nicknamed “Godra”, Modra broke through in 1993, scoring 129 goals, and has been described as “bigger than Elvis”, arguably South Australia’s most well-known, popular personality.
Modra was awarded life membership with the Crows in 2008 and has remained a friendly, familiar face as a regular at Crows home matches at Adelaide Oval in his role as club ambassador.
He was named All-Australian twice, won the crown of the year three times and scored goal of the year in 1995.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas described Modra as “an SA icon who never forgot where he came from”.
He said on social media on Thursday night that the former South Australia State star was “down to earth and a really good guy”.
“Tony and his family are in our thoughts tonight and we all hope he is okay,” Malinauskas said.
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