June 18, 2026 — 10:52pm
There are grave fears for football great Tony Modra, who was involved in a serious truck crash south of Adelaide on Thursday.
Tony Modra speaks with media in 2024 about the AFL’s mark and goal of the year awards, which he’ll be forever linked to. AFL Photos At about 5.15pm local time, police and emergency services responded to reports that a truck had crashed into a tree on Range Road, Back Valley, about 10 kilometres west of Victor Harbor.
Modra, who works as a cattle farmer on his property at Waitpinga, was the sole occupant of the cattle truck involved.
The scene of the crash in Back Valley, South Australia. Photo: SA Police
The high-flying Modra was a star for both the Crows and Dockers. Jack Atley The 57-year-old was airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre.
Modra, renowned for his high-flying marks and one of the most popular players of the 1990s, played 165 AFL games, kicking 588 goals. He played 118 of those with Adelaide, booting 440 goals – second-most in club history behind Taylor Walker – before booting 148 goals in just 47 games for Fremantle.
His impact on the Dockers was such that he was also named at full-forward in their “25 since ’95” team in 2019 – celebrating their first 25 years in the national competition.
Nicknamed “Godra”, Modra enjoyed a breakout 1993 when he booted 129 goals and was described as “bigger than Elvis” as arguably the most recognisable, popular personality in South Australia. Gary Ablett won the Coleman Medal that year, followed by Modra and Jason Dunstall.
Modra was twice named All-Australian, won the mark of the year crown three times, and kicked goal of the year in 1995.
He won the Coleman Medal in 1997 but cruelly tore his ACL in a preliminary final, forcing him to miss the Crows’ first premiership the following week.
Modra returned in 1998 but was unable to regain his form in time to be considered for that year’s grand final, in which the Crows went back-to-back.
He was awarded life membership at the Crows in 2008 and remained a friendly, familiar face at Adelaide Oval as a regular at Crows home games in his role as club ambassador.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas called Modra “an SA icon who has never forgotten where he came from”.
He took to social media on Thursday night to say the former South Australian State of Origin star is “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,” Malinauskas said.
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Read the full article at The Age →📄Source document: SA Police
4 reports
The AgeParty-alignedCenter2 days agoLinda Cameron, a grandmother, was the first to assist AFL legend Tony Modra after an accident. She described being frightened for him during the incident, which occurred on a cold night.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on a sports-related event involving a well-known athlete and does not present any political commentary, bias, or charged language. It simply recounts the actions of Linda Cameron during the incident without taking a stance or emphasizing any particular viewpoint.
The Sydney Morning HeraldParty-alignedCenter2 days agoLinda Cameron, a grandmother, was the first to assist AFL legend Tony Modra following an accident. She described being frightened for him during the incident, which occurred on a cold night.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on a sports-related event involving a public figure, with no political commentary or framing. It simply reports on Linda Cameron's actions and her emotional reaction to assisting Tony Modra.
The AgeParty-alignedCenter3 days ago AFL great Tony Modra fighting for life after serious truck crashAFL legend Tony Modra is in critical condition following a serious truck crash near Adelaide. Modra, 57, was the sole occupant of the cattle truck involved in the accident on Range Road, Back Valley. He was airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre. Modra played 165 AFL games, scoring 588 goals, and is remembered for his high-flying marks and popularity during the 1990s.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on a sports-related incident involving a former athlete and does not present any political commentary, framing, or bias. It provides factual information about the crash and Modra's career without taking a stance or using loaded language.
The Sydney Morning HeraldParty-alignedCenter3 days ago AFL great Tony Modra fighting for life after serious truck crashAFL legend Tony Modra is in critical condition following a serious truck crash near Adelaide. Modra, 57, was the sole occupant of the cattle truck involved in the accident on Range Road, Back Valley. He was airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre. Modra played 165 AFL games, scoring 588 goals, and is remembered for his high-flying marks and popularity during the 1990s.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses on a sports-related incident involving a former athlete and does not present any political commentary, framing, or bias. It provides factual information about the crash and Modra's career without leaning toward any particular ideological perspective.
Australia