One month after surviving a catastrophic, near-fatal truck crash sparked by severe weather near Victor Harbor, Australian Football League (AFL) icon Tony Modra has given supporters across the country a hopeful, heartwarming update on his road to recovery.
The 57-year-old former star, who earned two All-Australian selections during his illustrious career, was left in critical condition last month when an out-of-control tree branch crashed through the windshield of his moving truck during a period of bad weather on June 18. Labeled a freak accident by emergency responders, the impact left Modra with life-threatening injuries that required immediate intensive care admission, leading many fans and fellow football figures to fear the worst for the sports legend.
Now, in an Instagram post that has delighted the global AFL community, Modra has shared new photos of himself posing alongside his wife Erica, son Luke and daughter Hayley, looking alert and steadily recovering just four weeks after emergency facial surgery. He was discharged from the hospital earlier this June, and said he is already beginning to resume small daily activities.
In his touching social media update, Modra expressed profound gratitude for the life-saving care he received from three South Australian medical and emergency response teams: SA Ambulance Service, South Coast District Hospital, and Flinders Medical Centre. “Saved my life, put me back together with a few titanium plates, got me home,” he wrote of the teams’ work. “I’m getting out and about a bit now, and slowly catching up on everything I missed over the last month.”
Modra added that he has been deeply moved by the outpouring of support from the football community and general public over the past month. “I’m so humbled to learn how many people were cheering these incredible medical teams on … and our family too. I’ll never be able to thank everyone enough.”
Modra remains one of the Adelaide Crows’ most celebrated forwards, holding a franchise record for five consecutive seasons as the club’s leading goal-kicker across his 118 appearances for the team. He also notched 47 appearances during a stint with the Fremantle Dockers, and represented his state in State of Origin football, cementing his legacy as one of Australian rules football’s most recognizable figures.