Geelong footy great Ray Card is charged by Victoria Police after horror traffic incident that killed his wife

Former Geelong footy star Ray Card, 67, has been charged by Victoria Police following a traffic collision just north of Geelong that had killed his wife. 

The former Cats player had been taken to hospital under police guard after he was severely hurt in the incident at approximately 11.20pm on Saturday night.

Mr Card, of Grovedale, was driving a vehicle on Geelong Ring Road at Lara, just north of Geelong, when the accident is alleged to have occurred.

According to Sky News, Mr Card’s wife, Mandy, 57, who was in the passenger seat, is understood to have died at the scene after the vehicles had colided. 

Victoria Police said the former football player’s utility vehicle had collided with a BMW on the road. 

‘The driver of the BMW, a 23-year-old Lara man, and his passenger, a 19-year-old Lovely Banks woman were taken to hospital with minor injuries,’ the police said. 

Card (pictured) played 110 games for Geelong between 1977 and 1987

Mr Card has been charged with ‘culpable driving causing death and dangerous driving causing death’ by the police. 

‘He was bailed to appear at Geelong Magistrates’ Court on 26 November,’ the statement added. 

The former Cats star was seriously injured in the accident and was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Mr Card had been under police guard as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the fatal accident.

Card, a best-and-fairest winner for the Cats in 1983, played 110 games for Geelong between 1977 and 1987.

‘The past players and the club are deeply saddened at this news and the passing of Mandy,’ Geelong Past Players group said to The Herald Sun, following the incident. 

‘We are shattered and are sending our deepest condolences to the family.’

A tough defender, he continued playing football locally as captain-coach of the Wangaratta Magpies in 1988 before then coaching Milawa.

Card was seriously injured in the collision and was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital

‘He was very popular with the players… a man’s man,’ recalled one of his Magpies players in a 2018 interview.

‘Any dust-ups on the field were usually settled by Cardy fronting the opposition aggressor. He played hard and partied harder.

‘His powers of recovery astounded us. After a big night we’d drag ourselves along to KFC for brekkie, and notice him going past, pounding the bitumen on a 10km run.’

Card moved his family back to Geelong in the late ’90s and became involved with his old club. He served as both a runner and as an assistant coach of the Reserves for the Cats.

While there he worked with youngsters who went on to become stars for the team, including Jimmy Bartel, Gary Ablett and Paul Chapman.

‘I took a keen interest, in particular, in the progress of Steve Johnson, who’d been a little tacker hanging around the rooms when I first started coaching at Wangaratta,’ Card said.

Card’s father George played 46 matches for Geelong in the 1940s.