Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\nSo, naturally, Rachele\u2019s hunger level this summer is at an all-time high after what he called a \u201cfrustrating year\u201d in totality. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think I played 10 or 12 games without being subbed off \u2014 obviously from the two injuries I had, because I had broken ribs earlier in the year, too \u2014 and those 12 games were probably the best footy that I\u2019ve played in my career so far consistently,\u201d Rachele told Foxfooty.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo it would\u2019ve been great to see how the whole season would\u2019ve panned out if I played 23 games. But it was such a great learning curve, and a great 10-week block to get my body right, get fitter, get stronger. <\/p>\n
\u201cI got to see the game through a different lens; it was great to be in the coaches\u2019 box a few times, take some notes, sit in opposition analysis meetings. I was so hungry to get back for (my) first final.\u201d<\/p>\n
And while his two fourth-quarter goals against the Hawks had little impact on the final result, Rachele says his unadulterated joy for the game once he was injected is all the evidence necessary to understand how much it means to him. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think even though I came on and we might\u2019ve been like 40 points down, you could see the way that I played \u2014 I had that excitement, that freedom just to be back playing the game that I love again,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t really care about the result; I was just so grateful to be back out playing on Adelaide Oval. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd going into this year, I\u2019m so optimistic about what our team can achieve, because we had such a great year and have got so many players that I think are going to keep building.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mitchell announces retirement from AFL | 03:41<\/p>\n
Dynamic playmaker Rachele, who believes he\u2019s building nicely in what\u2019s his fifth AFL pre-season, detailed his key role shift ahead of the new campaign. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s been a bit different; I\u2019ve spent the majority of time with the midfield group,\u201d said Rachele, who\u2019s largely played forward since entering the league in 2021. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn past years, it\u2019s probably been in and out of the mids and forwards a bit, but this year\u2019s been predominantly just the midfield group. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the goal this year is to definitely play a bit more midfield \u2014 hopefully more of a 50-50 role \u2014 especially with Dan (Curtin) out pretty early. I think he was pushing to be in that standalone midfield group. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s great to have so many guys who can roll through; I think myself, Izak Rankine, even some of our other forwards like \u2018Keaysy\u2019 (Ben Keays) and (Alex) Neal-Bullen, they can all roll through there.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Curtin\u2019s medium-term knee injury is hugely disappointing, seeing as he was set to transition into a full-time inside midfielder, Rachele is set to rub shoulders in a rotation with Jordan Dawson, Jake Soligo, Sam Berry and James Peatling. <\/p>\n
The 180-centimetre livewire, who claims to have \u201ca different dynamic to most midfielders\u201d, added his \u201cmain goal one day\u201d is to emulate the role Christian Petracca has played in recent years; a centre-forward force who can damage with possession and on the scoreboard. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs a junior, I played a fair bit of midfield, and it probably wasn\u2019t until later on that I (became) predominantly a small forward, but I used to do a fair bit of both,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think I\u2019ve got a different dynamic to most midfielders. There\u2019s a different craft obviously for going from forward to the midfield, but I\u2019m looking forward to it, I think it\u2019s exciting. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very optimistic as well because there are no clear expectations. I think the main goal one day is to definitely be kind of like that Christian Petracca (type), 50-50 (split) rolling through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Josh Rachele is hard to stop when he\u2019s up and about at his best. (Photo by Mark Brake\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Speaking of players building ahead of the new season, Rachele is convinced that half-backer \u2014 and roommate \u2014 Luke Nankervis has primed himself for a big year and is set to cause headaches for Mattchew Nicks\u2019 match committee. <\/p>\n
Also a 22-year-old Victorian, Nankervis managed just seven senior games last year after playing 20 two seasons ago. <\/p>\n
But a positional tweak might\u2019ve acted as a springboard for the speedy flanker, who averaged a touch under 20 disposals and six marks per game at SANFL level. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had some clear standouts … my roommate, Luke Nankervis, has been training really, really well, and Hugh Bond, too,\u201d Rachele said. <\/p>\n
\u201c(Nankervis) played a fair bit of wing last year, (and then) back end of the year transitioned more to the half-backline, and I personally think that\u2019s where his position is. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe reads the ball really well … I\u2019ve lined up on him a fair bit in the match sim, and he\u2019s been pretty hard to play on. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I definitely think he\u2019ll be pushing for a spot in the 23 come Round 1.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 31-gamer, who averaged 12.6 disposals in those seven games last year, will be competing with the likes of Wayne Milera, Rory Laird and Bond for a spot, though admittedly the latter is more of a lockdown specialist. <\/p>\n
And as for off-season arrival Cal Ah Chee, expect the reliable two-time premiership winner to rotate with Alex Neal-Bullen between half-forward and higher up the ground as a key connecting piece in transition. <\/p>\n
Luke Nankervis is priming himself for a big year after managing just seven senior games in 2025. (Photo by Mark Brake\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, probed on those who hadn\u2019t yet made a name for themselves yet but could announce themselves this year, Rachele raised a young ball-winner and a 200-centimetre goalkicker as food for thought. <\/p>\n
\u201cCharlie Edwards went back into the midfield this pre-season. He was at half-back last year, and it\u2019s been great to see him really be a professional with the way he attacks his craft, the way that he\u2019s doing his extras,\u201d Rachele said. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I really think he\u2019s going to have a breakout year. Another one is probably Toby Murray, who\u2019s an up-and-coming forward. He\u2019s in my year, who got drafted a little bit later on. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe just looks so fit and strong, and I think he\u2019ll definitely be pushing to debut this year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Edwards, still just 20 years of age, remains uncapped at AFL level after Adelaide drafted him late in the first round in 2023. <\/p>\n
Twenty-two-year-old Murray, meanwhile, is a 200-centimetre forward who was stunted last season by a serious ankle injury. <\/p>\n
Battle expecting fiery Origin game | 00:50<\/p>\n
Last year\u2019s straight-sets exit is understandably still spurring these Crows \u2014 but they know that, unlike last year, they\u2019re on everyone\u2019s radar now. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s great,\u201d Rachele said. \u201cIf you told us this time last year we\u2019d finish on top of the ladder, to be honest, we\u2019d probably say we wouldn\u2019t. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe were probably just aiming to get into the top eight, and to have one of the best home-and-away seasons that the club has ever had was amazing. It\u2019s great. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been rewarded with a tough draw, but also a lot of prime-time games, which is a great thing not just for the club but for the fans. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s kind of no ceiling on this year; I don\u2019t see why we can\u2019t go even better than what we did last year. But it\u2019s going to be a tough start, and hopefully we can just win some early games and build on that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A hungrier-than-ever Josh Rachele is eyeing an enhanced role this year \u2014 and he\u2019s named a rival star…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":456369,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[9126,638,235086,1813,64,63,689,55,639,25880,235082,3237,74786,183072,3239,233562,19120,3505,235084,235089,3258,35348,104727,20213,235090,2105,231413,3231,45746,235092,133420,27751,36856,222615,647,19105,677,222600,162509,85549,235087,235085,12158,11244,60604,51240,85,235088,93963,233535,14355,93962,235091,660,12153,235083],"class_list":["post-456368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-adelaide-crows","tag-afl","tag-analysis-meetings","tag-ankle-injury","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-ben-keays","tag-big-time-role-shift","tag-brisbane-lions","tag-broken-ribs","tag-career-best-campaign","tag-carlton-blues","tag-charlie-edwards","tag-christian-petracca","tag-daniel-curtin","tag-dynamic-livewire","tag-enhanced-midfield-role","tag-exclusive-interview","tag-fair-bit","tag-final-result","tag-foot-stress-fracture","tag-fourth-quarter-goals","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-hawks-defender","tag-jack-jovanovski","tag-josh-rachele","tag-key-role-shift","tag-learning-curve","tag-luke-nankervis","tag-match-committee","tag-match-sim","tag-melbourne","tag-midfield-group","tag-oceania","tag-origin-match","tag-prime-time-games","tag-qualifying-final-loss","tag-rival-star","tag-role-shift","tag-rory-laird","tag-sam-draper","tag-semi-final-loss","tag-senior-games","tag-sports","tag-standalone-midfield-group","tag-straight-sets-exit","tag-toby-murray","tag-tom-mitchell","tag-two-time-premiership-winner","tag-unsung-roommate","tag-victoria","tag-wayne-milera","tag-young-ball-winner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=456368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/456368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/456369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=456368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=456368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=456368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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