| Josh Rachele | |
| Fullname: | Joshua Rachele |
| Nickname: | Rash, Shelley, J-Rach[1] |
| Birth Date: | 11 April 2003 |
| Birth Place: | Victoria, Australia |
| Originalteam: | Murray Bushrangers (Talent League) / Caulfield Grammar (APS) / Shepparton Swans |
| Draftpick: | No. 6, 2021 AFL draft |
| Debutdate: | Round 1, 2022 |
| Debutstadium: | Adelaide Oval |
| Height: | 180cm |
| Weight: | 84kg |
| Position: | Small forward / Midfielder |
| Guernsey: | 8 |
| Years1: | 2022– |
| Games Goals1: | 54 (67) |
| Statsend: | round 21, 2024 |
| Careerhighlights: |
|
Joshua Rachele (;[2] born 11 April 2003) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League (AFL).
He was selected by the Adelaide Crows with their first pick, the sixth overall, in the 2021 AFL draft. He previously played for the Murray Bushrangers in the NAB League and the Shepparton Swans Football Club in the Goulburn Valley League.[3] He was educated at Notre Dame College, Shepparton and Caulfield Grammar School.
Rachele had had an opportunity to play soccer professionally but chose Australian rules football instead.[4] He was part of the academy for Melbourne City FC and the under-17s Australian team.[5]
He has Italian and Greek heritage.[6]
Rachele made an immediate impact at the Crows, kicking five goals on debut against Fremantle in the opening round of the 2022 AFL season.[7] In Round 4, Rachele received a Rising Star nomination in Adelaide's game against Essendon, in which Rachele took 9 marks, kicked 3 goals, and collected 19 disposals.[8]
Rachele became known for his goal celebrations imitating the likes of Tim Cahill[9] and Kylian Mbappé. On June 21, 2023, Rachele signed a contract extension which would keep him at the club until 2029.[10] At the time, this was the longest current-standing contract of any player at Adelaide, equal with fellow draftee Jake Soligo.[11]
Rachele faced a lot of criticism from the media in the first half of 2024, particularly for a few missed opportunities against in round 6.[12] Rachele redeemed himself against Essendon in round 19 when one of his three goals was a last-minute match-winner.[13] His celebration, during which he ran to the crowd and hugged a fan, mimicked James Hird's celebration 20 years prior.[14] Rachele was the center of controversy prior to the Showdown against in round 23 when he used a stereotype of Port fans on FIVEaa.[15] Following the Showdown loss, Rachele received public criticism in the media for the comments, including Kane Cornes and teammate Rory Laird.[16] [17] In the following week, Rachele was named in the 22 Under 22 team for the second time[18] and was omitted for the final game of the year.[19] Despite the late-season omission, Rachele kicked a career-best 30 goals during the season, which was the third highest of any Crow.[20]
Since October 2022, Rachele has lived with fellow Victorians and current teammates Luke Nankervis and Jake Soligo.[21] He has a close relationship with forward Cooper Hamilton, with whom he attended Caulfield Grammar School.
Rachele's Italian and Greek heritage keep his family close knit. His parents are named Michelle and Jason, and he has two younger twin brothers named Isaac and Lucas. Jason Rachele works on the family-owned orchard in Shepparton.
Updated to the end of the 2024 season.[22] |-| 2022 || || 8| 13 || 17 || 11 || 93 || 53 || 146 || 36 || 24 || 1.3 || 0.8 || 7.2 || 4.1 || 11.2 || 2.8 || 1.8 || 1|-| 2023 || || 8| 21 || 23 || 25 || 204 || 117 || 321 || 81 || 70 || 1.1 || 1.2 || 9.7 || 5.6 || 15.3 || 3.9 || 3.3 || 0|-| 2023 || || 8| 22 || 30 || 17 || 202 || 109 || 311 || 79 || 51 || 1.4 || 0.8 || 9.2 || 5.0 || 14.1 || 3.6 || 2.3 || TBC|- class="sortbottom"! colspan=3| Career! 56 !! 70 !! 53 !! 499 !! 279 !! 778 !! 196 !! 145 !! 1.3 !! 1.0 !! 8.9 !! 5.0 !! 13.9 !! 3.5 !! 2.6 !! 1|}