Adelaide have dropped Josh Rachele for not having a “team-first focus” in a decision that has angered fans and confused AFL greats.
And in another twist to the ongoing story, Rachele liked a post on Instagram that suggested he was “hung out to dry” by the club.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Adelaide dump Josh Rachele after Showdown antics.
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The 21-year-old stoked the fires in the lead-up to last weekend’s Showdown, playing the pantomime villain when he jokingly claimed Port Adelaide supporters “don’t have many teeth”.
He welcomed the boos and issued a faux apology before goading fans on the field, pointing to his teeth while celebrating a goal in the second quarter.
Rachele was publicly backed by the club, but then news of his surprise axing emerged on Wednesday night.
The club on Thursday revealed the reasons on their website.
“We love the energy Josh brings to our group and he’s going to be a very important player for us for a long period of time,” Adelaide Head of Football Adam Kelly said
“Collectively, we must always prioritise the team-first focus which is so central to our values and standards.
“And we have and will continue to work with Josh in this space, as we do with all of our players, coaches and staff.”
SA legend and former Adelaide coach Graham Cornes was left confused by the move.
“On balance, his form hasn’t been too bad. Matty Nicks backed him in, it seems really strange that he has been dropped,” he told 7NEWS Adelaide.
“Couple of things to consider. Maybe it’s a wake-up call for the public comments, to me that seems a very harsh lesson. Or maybe they are not convinced by his physical commitment. There’s occasions where he doesn’t commit wholeheartedly to the ball, but on balance his form seems pretty good to me.
“Unpleasant thing to say, but he was just joking. It’s a joke that’s been around for many decades. We don’t want robots either, he’s got a media deal and the club’s happy for him to have a media deal. I’d hate to see him punished for that quip and if he is then it would seem unfair to me.
“If they force him out of the club, some other club will pick him up and he’ll be a very good player. They have to be very careful about that.”
Melbourne great Garry Lyon also said the club “need to tread warily”.
“Adelaide, I think, need to tread warily here. If they drop him this week, is that what you want him stewing on for the next six months? The fact that he would be feeling publicly called out by a teammate, a week of criticism and then he’s got six months to think about it,” he said on SEN.
Rachele has kicked 30 goals this season and played one of the better games of his career just three weeks ago against Geelong.
He remains one of the emerging stars of the competition and was voted into the AFLPA’s 22under22 team earlier on Thursday.
Rachele clearly has the backing of the Crows faithful, who have voiced their support for the young gun on social media.
And the 21-year-old poured more fuel on the fire by liking a comment on Instagram that called out for the Crows for their “disgusting” treatment.
“Just so you know, us Crows fans are here for you Rash. Disgusting what the club is doing hanging you out to dry. Would not blame you asking for a trade,” one fan wrote, which was seemingly endorsed by Rachele.
The drama surrounding Rachele and the Showdown comes at the end of a season where the Crows have gone backwards.
Having won 11 games last year to finish 10th on the ladder, the pressure was taken off Nicks when he signed a contract extension in March.
Four straight losses to start 2024 followed, and Adelaide are now guaranteed to finish in the bottom four even if they upset ladder leaders Sydney on Saturday night.
