Much-loved AFL icon Tony Modra is miraculously on the mend after a horrific accident on his property at Back Valley — about 90km South of Adelaide — on Thursday afternoon.
There were grave fears for Modra when an ambulance rushed him from the crash site to a local hospital before he was transferred to Flinders Medical Centre in South Adelaide.
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On Friday, Modra reportedly had surgery on his jaw, cheek and eye socket and on Saturday, during the match between Adelaide and Melbourne at Adelaide Oval, commentator and Crows great Mark Ricciuto said his dear friend was making a good recovery.
Ricciuto said Modra was awake in hospital with wife Erica and their children.
“We’re hearing positive thoughts, there’s a lot of positive news coming back,” Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said after his side’s win over the Demons.
“But we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. It’s a tough time because he’s such a huge presence around our footy club … the energy that he brings.
“’He’s one of the best footballers to play the game, but he’s just incredible energy – he’s got this aura about him, always smiling … So we look forward to him recovering and getting him back.”
The love for Modra ripped around the entire country when news first broke about the accident.
Ton Modra is on the mend after his accident in the cattle truck. Credit: SAPolice/GettyFans at Adelaide Oval on Saturday showed their love for Modra. Credit: @FoxFooty
During the game on Saturday fans held up a huge sign to show their support for the former Crows superstar, with the word “GOD-RA” emblazoned across it.
Nicks said the plight of the popular figure loomed large at the Crows since the accident.
“It’s something that we don’t hide from, that there are tough things going on in life and footy is not number one,” Nicks said.
“However when we get to the oval on a game day, there’s a need as a professional athlete to actually put footy number one for 120 minutes or a little bit longer than that, because you’ve got to prepare yourself.
“So we had that conversation. We talked openly through a number of things that are going on in life, away from what we’re doing on a footy oval.
“But the moment we walk off, then our mind goes back to family and to things like Mods, and where Mods is at at the moment and how we can try and support.”
Great-grandmother Linda Cameron was the first person to rush to Modra’s aid.
She was driving when she saw something was wrong and rushed out of her car to find a man in desperate need of help.
“I pulled over, just left the lights on, ran down, and I saw this man, he was sort of going towards the other side of the road and really not well, holding his face,” Linda told 7NEWS.
“As I was approaching him, he sat down and I went over to him and helped him, and then he wanted to lie down.
“Not at any stage was he able to speak, and I said, ‘Look, just stay still’, and he sat down and then he kept his hand there, there was blood coming through his hand, and I realised I needed to do something
“I just covered him up and tried to keep him warm and stayed with him and held his hand.
“He kept loosening my hand and that made me scared, so I said: ‘Hold my hand tight — squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. Help’s coming, they’ll be here any minute’. I felt so bad for him.”
Another witness, Anthony, who did not want to give his surname to protect his anonymity, and his partner Sarah, were driving along Range Road at Back Valley, about 90km south of Adelaide, about 5.15pm (local time) on Thursday.
“I came around the corner and I saw a truck on the opposite side of the road so I started braking,” Anthony said.
“He was driving towards Waitpinga and a tree branch fell and hit his windshield and he managed to control it (the truck).
“Then, he got out the cab himself and went to the side of the road and fell down.
“It was very windy. It wasn’t raining but the roads were wet, but that had nothing to do with the accident itself. It was just a tree branch falling that caused the accident.”
Anthony and Sarah are both trained as first responders, but were not employed first responders when they came across the scene.
“I just saw a man in trouble and knew what I had to do,” Anthony said.
“I don’t follow sport … it wasn’t until this morning when I checked online for any information on it that I found who he actually was.
“He’s a man that needed help, that’s all it is to me.”
In his playing days, Modra was a high-flying cult hero and a heart-throb, quickly emerging to become the face of the Crows during the club’s early years in the AFL.
Modra was famous for his high-flying acrobatics that won him the AFL’s mark-of-the-year award three times. Credit: Getty Images
In 1993, two years after the Crows joined the league, a young Modra booted a whopping 129 goals in a stellar All-Australian season.
Modra was also an All-Australian in 1997 when he won the Coleman Medal (for most goals in a season), however, he missed the club’s maiden premiership after suffering a heartbreaking ACL injury in the preliminary final.
In the following year, as the Crows powered their way to back-to-back flags, Modra returned but was sadly overlooked for the 1998 grand final.
Tony Modra in 1996 with the Fos Williams Medal after South Australia’s State of Origin clash with Western Australia. Credit: Getty Images
Ahead of the 1999 season, he joined Fremantle and quickly won over a new legion of fans in the west with a 71-goal season.
Modra was one of the glamour players of the 1990s, winning the AFL mark-of-the-year award three times, and also winning the AFL goal of the year in 1995.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas issued a statement on Thursday night not long after news broke of the shocking accident.
“Mods is an SA icon who has never forgotten where he came from. Down to earth and just a really good bloke,” Malinauskas said.
