Tony Modra

Biography

AFC Debut Number: 41               AFC Debut Game:  Round 4 v Fitzroy, 1992

AFC Career Guernsey Number: 6

Tony Modra took the leap from South Australian country football to an extraordinary level of AFL fame within two spectacular seasons.

Reluctant to leave the country life to play for West Adelaide in the SANFL, Modra dominated Riverland football with Renmark before committing to the Bloods in 1991. He was picked up by Adelaide as a concession pick and in his first season booted 21 goals in eight games. Modra-mania exploded in 1993 when he kicked 10 goals against Richmond in the opening round, and that season he finished with 129 goals. Against Richmond he kicked a Club record 13.4.

In 1996, Tony Modra was awarded the Fos Williams medal for being best-on-ground in a 126 to 91 victory over Western Australia.

Through to 1997 he was Adelaide’s leading goalkicker for five-straight seasons, and in 1997 claimed the AFL’s Coleman Medal (below) and a second All Australian selection.

Cruelly, Modra’s season ended early in the preliminary final when he severely injured his knee and missed the grand final win the following week. He made his comeback late in 1998 but was overlooked for most of the final series including the 1998 grand final, leading to his move to Fremantle. Modra’s 440 goals for Adelaide remained the club record until 2020 when exceeded by Taylor Walker. He did however retain the honour of being the only Adelaide player to kick over 100 goals in a season. A spectacular high flying forward Modra won the AFL’s “Mark of the Year” three times (once while playing with Fremantle) and goal of the year once. He played in South Australia’s State of Origin team from 1993 to 1997. He was an automatic selection for the AFC Team of the Decade 1991-2000. 

He was inducted into the Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 2021 he was selected as full forward in Adelaide’s “Best 22 of 30 Years”.