Tony Modra stable after surgery, expected full recovery

AFL great Tony Modra is expected to make a full recovery after being seriously injured in a truck crash on his South Australian property last week. The 57-year-old former Adelaide and Fremantle star remains in intensive care at Flinders Medical Centre but is now in stable condition, with doctors confirming his injuries are no longer life-threatening.

The accident occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, June 18, on Range Road in Back Valley, on the Fleurieu Peninsula southwest of Adelaide. Modra was the sole occupant of the cattle truck when a large tree branch fell, striking the vehicle. He sustained serious facial and head injuries in the crash.

After initial grave fears for his life, Modra underwent extensive surgery on Friday, June 19, to repair fractures to his jaw, cheekbone, and eye socket on the left side of his face. Fellow Crows champion and close friend Mark Ricciuto provided updates, stating Modra had shown significant progress. Ricciuto relayed a message from Modra's wife, Erica, who expressed optimism despite the severity of the injuries, joking that her husband might not emerge as "the same good looking Tony Modra" and would have some scars.