The wife of Australian Football League legend, Tony Modra, has expressed her gratitude to emergency personnel who “saved his life” as the former Adelaide Crows star continues to receive treatment in hospital following a serious truck crash in South Australia.
Speaking on Triple M Adelaide on Friday morning, breakfast radio host and former teammate Mark Ricciuto shared a statement from Modra’s wife, Erica, providing an update on the AFL legend’s condition.
“[Erica] said he’s going alright — it’s pretty amazing he’s got through it,” an emotional Ricciuto said on the show.
“She said to me just before, he’s not going to be the same good-looking Tony Modra, he’s going to have some scars.
“And I said, ‘well, he can be like us for once instead of being good-looking like he always has been’.
“So, he’s going OK, and we’re fingers crossed he’s going to get through it OK at the moment.”
Modra suffered serious injuries on Thursday afternoon when the truck he was driving collided with a tree at Back Valley, near Victor Harbor on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. Police confirmed that a 57-year-old man from Waitpinga was transported to hospital, while SA Health said on Friday that he remained in a “critical but stable condition”. Modra is known to work as a farmer in the local area.
Ricciuto, who played alongside Modra during the Adelaide Crows’ formative years in the 1990s, said his close friend was receiving specialist care in the intensive care unit at Flinders Medical Centre.
“[Erica] just wants to say a very big thank you to the first responders … who saved his life and helped talk through to Erica while things were going down,” he said.
“He’s in the ICU at Flinders [Medical Centre] now, and he’s in good care, so we’ll keep you updated — say a prayer for Mods, and all the best.”
Local resident Claire Fuller, who lives on Range Road near the crash site, said she encountered significant road closures when returning home on Thursday evening.
“The road was completely blocked, they were waiting for crash scene investigators,” she said.
Ms Fuller explained that she had to request assistance from emergency services to access her property.
“It’s a very narrow and busy road, the speed limit through here is 100 kilometres an hour,” she said.
“When we came through the crash scene last night, this tree behind me was across the road.”
Authorities maintained traffic restrictions around the scene for several hours before fully reopening the road.
AFL Community Rallies Around Modra
Messages of support have poured in from across the football community for Modra, who played 165 AFL games for the Adelaide Crows and Fremantle Dockers during a distinguished career.
After making his debut for Adelaide in 1992, Modra became the club’s leading goal kicker for five consecutive seasons and secured the Coleman Medal in 1997. That same year, a serious knee injury sustained during the preliminary final ruled him out of Adelaide’s maiden AFL premiership triumph.
Current Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said the club’s focus was on supporting Modra, his wife Erica and their family during a difficult period.
“Most importantly, we support Tony and Erica and the family, and that’s what footy clubs do very well,” he said.
Nicks reflected on Modra’s enduring influence at the club, describing him as a figure who possessed a unique presence.
“Tony and I still message each other, he gives me tips on how to coach,” he said.
“I used to watch Tony take hangars every week, and he’s some sort of player, it wasn’t just the marks, it was everything else — he’s an energy.
“So, we’re going to put all our energy around them at the moment and our thoughts.”
Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr also offered his support, highlighting Modra’s impact on generations of football fans.
“It was devastating news to hear about it, obviously our thoughts as a football club are with Tony’s family, him himself and the Adelaide Football Club,” he said.
“I think all our memories, for me in particular, of growing up was if you took a hangar, it was Modra, so he’s had a massive impact on the community.”
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas described Modra as an “extraordinary South Australian” whose influence extended far beyond football.
“It’s hardly a surprise that [the news of the crash] has captured the attention of many, given the impact that Mods had on a lot of people, whether he met them or not,” he said.
Support also arrived from Western Australia, where former Fremantle teammate and current Dockers coach Justin Longmuir spoke about the news following Fremantle’s clash with Geelong.
“It’s pretty fresh for me like it is for everyone, obviously a big part of the Freo family and all I can say is I wish him and his family well,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“I’m thinking of him, we’re all thinking of him and his family and thoughts are with them.”
Celebrated Career and Lasting Legacy
Widely regarded as one of the AFL’s most exciting forwards, Modra kicked 440 goals for Adelaide and claimed the league’s Mark of the Year award on three occasions, including once during his time with Fremantle.
Following the conclusion of his AFL career with the Dockers, he returned to regional South Australia, where he continued playing country football with Encounter Bay and later Keith. Earlier in his career, he represented Loxton and Renmark in the Riverland region.
Loxton Football Club stalwart Les Lange said Modra’s sporting talent extended well beyond football, noting his achievements in basketball and athletics, including a long-standing school javelin record.
“He is a footy icon, not just for the Riverland or Loxton and Renmark, it’s for South Australia and the AFL,” Mr Lange said.
