Tony Modra’s wife says the AFL great is expected to be “okay” as fresh details emerge about the freak accident that left him fighting for his life.
Reports indicate a tree was ripped from the ground and slammed onto Modra’s cattle truck as the 57-year-old made his way back to his farm near Waitpinga, about 10km west of Victor Harbor in South Australia, during powerful winds on Thursday night.
Disturbing images from the scene highlight the severe damage to the former Adelaide Crows and Fremantle Dockers star’s vehicle. Modra remains in a serious condition at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide.
Speaking on Triple M Breakfast on Friday, former Adelaide captain and close friend Mark Ricciuto said he had been in contact with Modra’s wife, Erica, and shared a positive update.
“She said he’s going all right. It’s pretty amazing that he’s got through it,” Ricciuto said.
Ricciuto added that Erica wanted to express her deep gratitude to the first responders, Sarah and Anthony, who helped save Modra’s life and stayed on the line with her as the emergency unfolded.
‘She wants to thank the MFS and the emergency personnel at the Victor Harbor Hospital who stabilised him and got him sorted until the intensive care team took control and looked after him.’
Footage from Channel Nine shows the cabin was destroyed, the windscreen smashed, much of the damage concentrated on the driver’s side, and a side wing mirror mangled.
Tony Modra, 57, was airlifted to an Adelaide hospital following a catastrophic truck crash
Erica Modra revealed it was ‘amazing’ her husband had ‘got through it’
Footage from Channel Nine shows the shocking extent of damage to the truck
The truck’s side wing mirror was mangled. It’s understood there were no cattle on board
Modra’s close friend, former AFL player and agent Ricky Nixon, also provided a hopeful update on Friday morning.
‘Just spoken to someone connected [to Modra] and he has improved a bit… I’m in total shock,’ Nixon wrote on his public Facebook.
‘Doctors [are] hopeful he’s going to pull through. Mods we all love you, and our thoughts and prayers are all with you, mate. Hang in there.’
Modra, who was a footy heartthrob during his 90s playing heyday, runs the farm with Erica, who he married in 2008.
They share two children, Hayley and Luke.
Ricciuto said, ‘[Erica] said to me just before he’s not going to be the same good-looking Tony Modra, he’s going to have some scars’.
‘I said, “Well he can be like us for once instead of being good looking as he always has been”‘.
Modra’s horrific accident is not the first battle the family has gone through in recent years.
Erica and Tony Modra with their baby, Luke, at the Flinders Medical Centre
Modra’s longtime nickname is ‘Godra’ after his 1997 Coleman Medal-winning goal scoring feat
Mark Ricciuto, former Adelaide captain, passed on a message from Modra’s wife on Friday
Police shared an image of the truck, which appears to be pierced on the driver-side windshield
When Luke, now 14, was born 12 weeks premature, he weighed just 1.29kg.
He fought for his life in the same hospital where Modra is currently being treated.
Luke pulled through and is now a talented tennis and football player.
It is understood Modra, nicknamed ‘Godra’ due to his mighty goal-kicking and marking prowess, was returning to his cattle farm in Waitpinga when the crash occurred.
Sources say there was no livestock on board, with Modra having dropped them off earlier that day.
Modra won Mark of the Year three times, kicked Goal of the Year in 1995, and was awarded life membership of the Crows in 2008.
He played 165 AFL games, including 118 with the Crows and 47 with the Dockers.
He heartbreakingly tore his ACL during the 1997 finals series, missing the Crows’ maiden premiership. He was then controversially dropped by coach Malcolm Blight before their back-to-back Grand Final win in 1998.
AFL premiership player Kane Cornes described Modra as his childhood hero
Ricky Nixon, right, pictured with Modra and fellow AFL great Wayne Carey
He retired in 2001.
In a city where fan battle lines are firmly drawn between the Adelaide Crows and their cross-town rivals Port Adelaide, Modra is a rare player who is universally revered by supporters of both clubs.
Port Adelaide premiership player Kane Cornes said Modra was his ‘hero’ as he shared his devastation.
‘He has been my hero since I was 10 years of age. He’s a fighter,’ he said.
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas said his thoughts were with Modra and his family.
‘Mods is an SA icon who has never forgotten where he came from,’ he said.
South Australia Police released a statement shortly after the crash.
‘Down to earth and just a really good bloke.
‘Tony and his family are in our thoughts tonight, and we all hope he’ll be ok.’
‘A truck driver has been seriously injured after a crash at Back Valley,’ police said.
‘About 5.15pm on Thursday 18 June, police and emergency services responded to reports of that a truck had crashed into a tree on Range Road, Back Valley, about 10 kilometres west of Victor Harbor.’
