AFL legend Tony Modra remains in a critical condition following a freak accident that nearly claimed his life, according to one of the first responders at the scene.
The Incident
Modra, 57, suffered severe head injuries when a tree branch shattered the windshield of his truck while he was driving near his cattle property south of Adelaide on Thursday. He was taken to a southern Adelaide hospital, where he remains in a critical but stable condition as of Friday afternoon.
Heroic First Responders
Great-grandmother Linda Cameron, 78, was driving past when she noticed something was wrong. She immediately stopped and rushed to help a man she later learned was the AFL icon. “I pulled over, left the lights on, ran down, and saw this man holding his face and not well,” she told 7NEWS.
Cameron stayed with Modra, holding his hand and urging him to squeeze tightly. “He couldn’t speak. I covered him, kept him warm, and said, ‘Hold my hand tight — squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. Help’s coming.’” She had no idea of his fame, knowing him only as Tony. “He was just a man in trouble,” she said.
Another witness, Anthony, and his partner Sarah, both trained first responders, also stopped. Anthony described the scene: “A tree branch fell, hit his windshield, and he managed to control the truck. He got out and collapsed. The roads were wet from wind, but the branch caused the accident.”
Family and Community Reaction
Modra’s wife, Erica, thanked the first responders via former Crows captain Mark Ricciuto. “She said he’s going all right. It’s amazing he got through it,” Ricciuto relayed. Modra, known as ‘Godra’ for his spectacular high marking and goal-kicking, played for Adelaide (1992-1998) and Fremantle (1999-2001).
Current North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson recalled Modra’s “pop star status,” while Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said, “He has an aura. Our prayers are with him.” SA Premier Peter Malinauskas and opposition leader Ashton Hurn called Modra an “icon,” and Port Adelaide coach Josh Carr described the news as “devastating.”
