Longmuir’s emotional – Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir delivered an emotional message for club champion Tony Modra after learning the AFL legend was seriously injured in a truck crash near Victor Harbor minutes after the Dockers’ comeback win over Geelong.
Justin Longmuir walked out of Optus Stadium with a comeback still echoing in his ears—then the phone call hit, and the night turned instantly darker.
Minutes after Fremantle completed one of its sharpest turnarounds of the season, Longmuir learned club great Tony Modra had been involved in a serious truck crash in South Australia.
Fremantle had pulled off a stunning reversal against Geelong on Thursday night. overturning a 28-point deficit to win 14.15 (99) to 14.6 (90) and extend the club’s record winning streak to 13 games. The Dockers did it in front of 55. 201 fans. powering home after half-time by kicking 10 straight goals and securing a hard-fought nine-point victory.
But just as the football world was replaying the momentum swing, the news from the south coast delivered a different kind of shock.
Modra. a 57-year-old Adelaide and Fremantle champion. remains in hospital after a cattle truck crash near Victor Harbor in South Australia on Thursday evening. He was airlifted to Flinders Medical Centre with serious injuries after his truck collided with a tree at Back Valley—about 10 kilometres west of Victor Harbor.
When Longmuir was asked about Modra’s condition post-match, his response carried the weight of someone realizing the sport had no control over what comes next.
“It’s pretty fresh for me… obviously [Modra is] a big part of the Freo family,” Longmuir said.
He added: “All I can say is I wish him and his family well.”
“Hopefully he can pull through. I’m thinking of him, we’re all thinking of him and his family. Thoughts are with them.”
For a coach who played alongside Modra during the forward’s time at Fremantle, the message was as raw as it was brief—anchored to one truth: a family is now carrying the heaviest part of uncertainty.
Across the country, tributes followed quickly as the scale of the injury became clear.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas described Modra as an icon of the state, calling him “Mods’” — a figure who “has never forgotten where he came from.”
“Down to earth and just a really good bloke,” Malinauskas said. “Tony and his family are in our thoughts tonight, and we all hope he’ll be ok.”
Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes also spoke of his respect for the former forward, saying Modra has been “my hero” since Cornes was 10 years old.
“He’s a fighter,” Cornes said.
That theme—fighter—echoed through the messages sent by supporters as day turned into concern. Adelaide supporters flooded social media with notes of support for Modra’s recovery.
One fan wrote: “Sending positive vibes for Tony’s recovery, you are a legend mate. Keep fighting.”
Another posted: “Devastating news….sending love to all family & close friends…absolute legend of the game.”
Modra’s standing in South Australian football history makes the response feel personal rather than formal. He played 47 games for Fremantle after joining the Dockers from Adelaide ahead of the 1999 season.
He finished his AFL career with 47 games and 148 goals for Fremantle after a longer run with Adelaide, where he played 118 games and kicked 440 goals.
A two-time All-Australian and the 1997 Coleman Medallist, Modra was remembered as one of the AFL’s greatest aerial entertainers, with spectacular high marks turning him into a household name throughout the 1990s.
Those football memories were still fresh on Thursday night as Fremantle’s own story reached a peak on the scoreboard.
The Dockers trailed by 28 points midway through the second quarter and looked set for their winning streak to be tested as they repeatedly squandered opportunities in front of goal. But after half-time, Longmuir’s side found another gear, kicking 10 straight goals to flip the contest.
Luke Jackson was central to that fightback, producing a dominant performance with 28 disposals, 26 hit-outs, six clearances and three goals.
“He just keeps building, doesn’t he? He keeps growing as a player,” Longmuir said.
“He’s got fitter and stronger and his contest work is super and it was great to see him go forward and hang on to a couple of marks and finish his work off and get some reward that way.”
The injury news, however, quickly swallowed the rest of the narrative. Longmuir’s comeback celebrations had barely had time to land before Modra’s crash shifted the focus from football excellence to something far harder to measure.
As Modra remains in hospital after the crash near Victor Harbor, the same question now sits at the centre of every message sent from the club and the wider football community: whether he can pull through—so the family can finally breathe again.
Tony Modra Justin Longmuir Fremantle Dockers Geelong AFL truck crash Flinders Medical Centre Victor Harbor Back Valley Luke Jackson Optus Stadium Coleman Medallist
Truck crashes are always so random man. Praying for him.
Wait, was this the same Tony Modra from like, cricket? Or am I mixing up names… either way that’s horrible. Glad they airlifted him.
So Fremantle wins by 13 games streak and then he gets hurt like minutes later… seems fishy timing. Not saying it’s anyone’s fault, just feels like one of those ‘football doesn’t matter’ moments. Tree collision like??
I saw someone say it was a cattle truck and a tree but I don’t even know if that’s true. Also why are they bringing up the comeback score like it helps? Still tho, thoughts with Tony and his family. Hope he comes out of hospital okay.