How good was Tony Modra?

[The Crows Truth]

From the contact I have had with him, I am definitely not off track and from a mate of mine who played with Modra at the Crows, his opinion is similar to mine. Sure he wasn't perfect, but that is often the case with those who have a rare talent.

Why would an arrogant, self serving person, actively shun the spotlight, choose to live in the country and play footy for a local club? Simple, because he loves the game and would rather have a kick with his mates than be seen out and about in the social pages.

Name me a human being that doesn't have character flaws and I'll show you a picture of a robot.

I am not prepared in a public forum to state the things I know - PM me if you want the details

 

[Dandy_GO]

The second O on the "Moora Ave" sign near my house still gets changed to a D ever year or so.
Modra was a bloody legend, and a speccie in kick to kick will forever be known as a "Modraaaaaaaa" to me and my mates.

 

[Yato]

Excellent until the collision with Worsfold ... he was never the same aftewr that. Even though he did play well for the Dockers but just not the same...

 

[Gets!]

The second O on the "Moora Ave" sign near my house still gets changed to a D ever year or so.
Modra was a bloody legend, and a speccie in kick to kick will forever be known as a "Modraaaaaaaa" to me and my mates.

Yep no doubt. Kick to kick at school would be full of kids trying to do a 'Modraaaaaaaa'.

Sometimes I still yell it out at the footy when some flies for a screamer

 

[dazzler1974]

I did some strength work with some of the crows coaching staff a few years back and they always had a chuckle when they told this story" Mods was chatting to some backroom staff and generally not doing the required weights training program set out for all the players.. his regular pre season!! A few of the other plyers let out some big cheers when Matty Robran (I think) broke the bench press record previously held by Modra. (Mods held most of the club stregth reords back then) So Mods wanders over to see what the commotion is and is told his bench press record has been beaten for the first time in ages. He just casually hopes onto weight bench, no warm up, and breaks the new record by a lazy 5KG! and then walks back out to chat to whoever he was talking too!!
Gold
Blighty did not like him and he ed off the other players as he was a natural and could do what others could not without seemigly training hard!! A great to watch though!

 

[Stiffy_18]

Mods was a spuer player. Just a natural, freak who could do the impossible.

I don't think people outside Adelaide realise how HUGE he was in this city. He was like the biggest rock star. I think **** got it right in saying that he was in Adelaide what Michael Jordan was in USA.

He is just a country lad who loved footy, surf and chicks and loved having a few with his mates. He never liked the publicity and those at AFC would tell you he came close to giving up the AFL a few times just because he hated the fact that he couldn't go anywhere without being mobbed. He was HUGE here and there is no doubt he still pulls in the crowds for the "Slowdowns".

His former team mates and his first AFL coach Graham Cornes always talk fondly about the aura he carried around the place. He never was a star on the training track and never did weights but always held the records at the club for bench press.

Graham Conres has told this story a number of times. Mods didn't rock up to training one day so they tried getting in contact with him. He was no where to be found. A couple of days later they track him down at his flat, p***ed as anything. He was out on the p**s with some of his mates and simply told Graham he didn't want to play footy anymore when Cornes went over to see him. After extensive chit chat, Cornesy got him to change his mind. The following day Mods went out and kicked a lazy 13 . He didn't train for the whole week but went out and had an amazing game.

He was just a freak. He was a highlight waiting to happen. Great hangers, freaky goals and he made it look so easy. He played the game fair and never quite understood why he was such a big celebrity. To him it was just a game he loved to play.

He was a great player and one that should have played in a premiership and probably the biggest injustice that he didn't finish his career with the Crows. He is back with the club now which is great

 

[pharro]

all due respect, but that is utter tosh.

I can only wonder if you saw that written somewhere, or if you 'claim' to have observed that?

By dropping Modra for the 1998 GF, he shifted the matchups so that mick Martyn stood - and blanketed - Matthew Robran. If Modra plays, Micky gets him, and Robran gets a much more favourable match up - important seeing as he kicked 7 in the prelim.

Come on, you know that Modra was Mick Martyn's manbitch. And Martyn having to play Robran took Martyn up the ground and out of his comfort zone leaving Jarman an open forward line against Blakey. Denis Pagan has never had a plan B. He had Adelaide's measure right up until Blight switched everything around. Modra on the sidelines was a blessing.

 

[Powerstufff]

One of the most exciting players you ever could have seen. Stats just don't show the spectacle he brought to a game.
Try telling someone in ten years why you liked watching Wayne Carey or Tony Lockett and see how you can show it with stats.

 

[midorigreenwood]

while he wasn't at his peak at fremantle, he was certainly good for the club. Remember reading about how women membership numbers surged the day modra got recruited.

The Johnny Depp of AFL

 

[cooperjai]

He is back with the club now which is great

What is he doing?

 

[Stakerz]

I barracked for Adelaide because of Modra, I barracked for FREMANTLE!!! because of Modra. Modra was my favourite player

 

[Macca19]

I remember one game at footy park when we he had Hodges playing out of the square with him. At the start of the game the two opposition backmen start doing the push and shove and little jumper punches towards Hodges, Mod's comes in and pushes his player back from the goal square to the fence out of sight of the cameras and the goal umpire and punches him right in the face Those two backmen were much nicer towards hodges and modra for that game. That was about the only time I ever saw him do something like that. He played the game fairly and with some breathtaking brilliance.

1993 vs Richmond. Kicked 13 goals.

 

[Macca19]

During 93 he was bigger than anything. As others have said, he couldnt go out without getting mobbed. Got the rockstar treatment.

I still remember when he dropped the F word on Sportsworld. Bruce's face was a classic.

 

[rayven]

One Flight back from London after one of those Challange games an official complaint was put in by the Airline about Modra's behavior,so much so he was deregistered by the AFL for 1 pre season game.At the time some reported it as a sentance imposed by VFL fools and with the incidents since of off field behavior by others would back that up.

He though copped it from other directions with a journalist personally taking people to his street and showing them where he lived

One thing that Modra is less known for but should be held in high regard was his relationship with kids.He week in week out visited schools talking to kids and playing footy with them and he was with them just a big kid.

 

[Crow-mo]

Excellent until the collision with Worsfold ... he was never the same aftewr that. Even though he did play well for the Dockers but just not the same...

it wasn't a collision, it was a dirty hit on a guy with eyes on the ball.

the sort of dirty hit, tough guy woosha specialised in.

 

[Crow-mo]

Come on, you know that Modra was Mick Martyn's manbitch. And Martyn having to play Robran took Martyn up the ground and out of his comfort zone leaving Jarman an open forward line against Blakey. Denis Pagan has never had a plan B. He had Adelaide's measure right up until Blight switched everything around. Modra on the sidelines was a blessing.

look at what you can say, when you have no regard for honesty or truth!

it's easy. Aaron James >>> Carey. I like this, it's so easy to just say stuff

 

[Captain Sensible]

He'd hick 500 goals a season if he had the current Bulldog midfield feeding him the ball.

 

[crowie]

I knew someone that knew Modara for many yrs in his formative yrs - in fact taught him for a few yrs at HS - you are off track with above comments. Modra was a great player but he definitely had serious character flaws

Seen him pi**ed once at the Crown in Victor Harbour, he was calling his Mrs everything under the sun. Great footy player but that's about it.