Tony Modra captured the imagination of an entire generation of Crows fans during his seven-year stint at West Lakes.
Modra made his AFL debut in Round Four of the 1992 season, but made his mark on the competition the following year when the enigmatic full-forward became one of the most dangerous goalkickers in the competition.
With his high-flying marking and chiseled good looks, Adelaide quickly succumbed to Modra mania. The man known as ‘Godra’ booted multiple goals in all bar one game of the 1993 season, with his finest hour coming ‘on this day’ on a chilly Saturday afternoon at Princes Park in Round 19.
Modra went into the match against Fitzroy with 98 goals for the year, needing just two majors to become the first Crow – and the 25th player in VFL/AFL history - to reach the 100-goal milestone in a single season.
It was a slow start by the Crows against the plucky Lions, who held the visitors to a solitary major to take a 16-point lead at the first change.
Adelaide rallied in the second stanza, and by the early minutes of the second quarter, Modra had marked a Greg Anderson centre clearance and was lining up for his milestone major from 35 metres out directly in front.
The kick was never in doubt, sailing through the middle well above post height.
Pandemonium ensued as the 8,545-strong crowd streamed onto the ground to celebrate Modra’s ton. Teammates, trainers and security staff circled him as the masses closed in. But in his true laid-back style, Modra strolled casually back to the goalsquare while a sea of supporters still clamoured after him.
Modra would finish with seven goals for the game, but it wasn’t enough for the Crows as the visitors fell to Fitzroy by five points.
The mayhem continued well after the final siren had sounded. Hundreds of Crows fans mobbed the gun full-forward when the team returned via Adelaide Airport the following day.
Modra was one of three men to reach the 100-goal mark in 1993 as part of the golden era of full forwards in the mid 90s. Modra finished runner up in the Coleman Medal race to Geelong’s Gary Ablett, while Hawthorn gun Jason Dunstall also reached triple figures.
Finals inclusive, it was Modra who ultimately topped the goalkicking tally for the year with 129 majors. Ablett and Dunstall finished with 124 and 123 goals respectively.
Modra would go on to be Adelaide’s leading goalkicker in the next four seasons, eventually winning the Coleman Medal in 1997 with 81 majors.
He remains the only Crow to reach the ton in a single season and is still the Club’s all-time lead goalkicker with 440 goals ahead of Mark Ricciuto (292) and Andrew McLeod (275). Modra also holds the record for most goals in a game by a Crow with two hauls of 13.
August 7, 1993 – Round 19
ADELAIDE 1.4 6.8 10.11 13.16 (94)
FITZROY 4.2 7.5 10.6 15.9 (99)
GOALS: Modra 7, Bickley, Brown, Liptak, Rehn, Ricciuto, Sanderson
BEST: Modra, Anderson, Ricciuto, Bickley, Tregenza, Lee, A. Jarman
ATTENDANCE: 8,545 at Princes Park
