Christmas in August
-
LIVE: GWS Giants v Brisbane Lions - 7:30PM Sat
Squiggle tips Lions at 65% chance -- What's your tip? -- Team line-ups »
-
Weekly Prize - Join Any Time - Tip Semi Finals
The Golden Ticket - MCG and Marvel Medallion Club tickets and Corporate Box tickets at the Gabba, MCG and Marvel.
Round FW1 Winner: TBA!
-
AFLW 2024 - Round 3 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Player Watch Josh Rachele - Sent To The Gulag!
- Thread starter Scorpus
- Start date
- Tagged users None
- Aug 21, 2008
- 6,493
- 13,106
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
we sure have a lot of gullible people around here
There way too much outrage in this world and it is getting exponentially worse with social media. Can we please ban social media?
- Aug 21, 2008
- 6,493
- 13,106
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
He says, on a social media platform
I also still use Facebook and instagram and I wish I didn't. Life would be better without it and same with bigfooty.
Last edited:
Believing rash was gonna get dropped?
Thrillthorpe7
Debutant
- Aug 22, 2024
- 71
- 178
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Can’t wait to see how the club spins this whenever they speak on this at some point today, the backlash is too deafening to ignore it.
Scandals, a derailed rebuild and questionable drafting: Unpacking a seven-year AFL slide
The Crows have been in disarray since the 2017 grand final. After seven seasons of mediocrity, distractions, controversy and mishaps, patience at West Lakes must be wearing thin.
Surprised its taken him so long to sink the boots in
Opinion
Scandals, a derailed rebuild and questionable drafting: Unpacking a seven-year AFL slide
Firey Kane Cornes
AFL columnistAugust 22, 2024 — 12.06pm
The Adelaide Football Club has been in disarray since the national anthem was sung before the opening bounce of the 2017 grand final.
It was during the anthem that the Crows adopted a “power stance”. The mind games backfired badly.
The Crows will be spectators in September again this year.Credit:Getty Images/Aresna Villanueva
As minor premiers, premiership favourites and the best team that season, the Crows failed on the day that counted – they crumbled under pressure to an emerging Richmond group that exposed all of Adelaide’s vulnerabilities.
The fallout from that grand final defeat makes for a long list of the Crows repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot, starting with their infamous camp in the 2018 pre-season.
Adelaide have been in the wilderness ever since, missing finals for seven consecutive years – a record that tarnishes the image of a club that declares it is the “pride of South Australia”.
They narrowly missed the eight in 2023 – who could forget the goal umpiring fiasco that cost them a win against Sydney? That meant the Crows started this year filled with motivation and optimism. They built up expectations of a strong finals campaign, leading some pundits to believe Adelaide could push for a top-four finish.
“We want to do more than challenge the best this year. There’s an expectation on us to perform and play finals footy,” coach Matthew Nicks said during pre-season. “We want to embrace that expectation and aim for it, we don’t want to finish up in August. You get sick of watching finals footy … as do our players the longer they’re in the game. So we’ll embrace the expectation.”
To avoid the distraction of a coach falling out of contract, Adelaide’s board eagerly extended Nicks’ contract to the end of 2026, sealing terms before the home-and-away season opened.
Advertisement
Club chief executive Tim Silvers endorsed Nicks. “We have seen the on-field improvement and he has developed a game plan we firmly believe will stand up to the pressures of finals footy.”
There is no evidence to support how well-prepared the Crows are for September. Today, Adelaide have eight wins, three fewer than last season. The Crows are in the bottom four, again forced to be spectators in September.
Rarely has a club damaged itself in the aftermath of a grand final loss as Adelaide did from 2017. That controversial pre-season camp left a trail of shattered careers, broken relationships, a coaching change and distraught players.
“I was put into a situation that was psychologically and culturally unsafe. I’ll live with this shame for the rest of my life,” wrote former Crow Eddie Betts in his autobiography.
Coach Don Pyke stepped down in 2019, paving the way for Nicks to start his senior coaching career with a full-scale rebuild of the playing squad.
Controversy persisted in 2021 when former captain and Adelaide’s most-influential player, Taylor Walker, was suspended for six games after making a racist comment about North Adelaide player Robbie Young during a SANFL match where Walker was a spectator.
Taylor Walker was suspended for directing a racist comment towards a player at a SANFL game.Credit:AFL Photos
Despite the best intentions with the rebuild, their five-year plan has faltered, derailed by questionable drafting and list management decisions.
In the 2018 national draft, the Crows chose wingman/half-back Chayce Jones with pick No.9, overlooking Zak Butters, who was taken at pick 12. Butters is now an All-Australian with Port Adelaide. In the same draft, the Crows used pick 16 on fringe player Ned McHenry.
The 2019 draft is worse in hindsight for Adelaide. They selected now-retired key defender Fischer McAsey at pick No.6, bypassing Fremantle stars Hayden Young (No.8) Caleb Serong (No.9). Meanwhile, Melbourne chose small forward Kysaiah Pickett – now a premiership player – from the SANFL at pick 12 and Hawthorn snagged South Australian standout Will Day at 13.
Good draft pick-up: Riley Thilthorpe.Credit:AFL Photos
Adelaide did not miss with Riley Thilthope at pick two in 2020. Despite some injury concerns, the key forward is emerging as a genuine star. However, in the same year the Crows took Glenelg’s Luke Pedler with pick 11. He has struggled to find a regular place in Adelaide’s best 22 and this season has been derailed by injury.
In 2021, Adelaide opted for small forward Josh Rachele with their first pick at No.6.
While Silvers insists Nicks has implemented a game style capable of withstanding the pressures of September, the coach must shoulder some of the blame for the club’s continued failings.
Nicks has been out-coached too often this season. In round three, he had no answers for Geelong’s Tom Stewart, who took 10 intercept marks. The problem repeated at the other end of the ground in round 20 when Nicks misread the match-up against Jeremy Cameron, who dominated with six goals.
Too often Nicks ignores the opposition’s best midfielder. In Saturday’s Showdown, Butters collected a record 42 possessions and 10 clearances.
He was too slow to thrust Izak Rankine into the midfield and often played inside midfielders such as Sam Berry as small forwards.
His decision to play four tall forwards in the round 21 loss against Hawthorn was equally perplexing.
The goal umpiring error against Sydney last year not only cost Adelaide a finals spot, it also created a distraction from the Crows’ own failures. They trailed by 32 points at three-quarter-time in a must-win home game.The key issues from Adelaide’s loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday similarly have been overshadowed by the sickening bump from Dan Houston on Rankine. It’s another distraction for a Crows team that, despite being nearly at full health, was dominated at the clearances by 14 and out-tackled by 17.
With a winning rate of less than 35 per cent it is doubtful Nicks would have survived if the club had not extended his contract in March.
Nicks vowed not to be a spectator again this September. He will be doing just that after the weekend. After seven seasons of mediocrity, distractions, controversy and mishaps, patience at West Lakes must be wearing thin.
MatthewB
If the drinking lamp is lit, you should be too
- Sep 17, 2015
- 10,272
- 12,689
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
- Other Teams
- NY Yankees, Glenelg Adelaide Giants
Nicks_out_now
Senior List
- Jun 27, 2024
- 155
- 168
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Na, he will be like his boyfriend and crack the shits. Then best mate Nicks will just say, it’s ok. Back in the side.
Jon Ralph analyses Adelaide’s decision to drop Josh Rachele foir round 24
Can Josh Rachele really be dropped on form? As JON RALPH writes, the Crows face an impossible PR task to convince fans Rachele hasn’t been made a scapegoat if he isn’t picked for round 24.
Jon Ralphfollow
@RalphyHeraldSun
2 min read
August 22, 2024 - 2:17PM
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/.../1ff1955ec283ecaa3220bfdd0d0fea49#share-tools
Adelaide’s will attempt to send a message about elevated standards to its playing group with its perplexing decision to drop Josh Rachele for round 24 despite his strong form in the past five weeks.
But the shock call, set to be confirmed at selection on Thursday night, has a significant chance of backfiring given his inability to win back his spot after the last game of the season.
Adelaide is furious with Rachele’s conduct after he claimed in one of his regular weekly radio spots that “Port supporters don’t have many teeth”, then mocked those fans after a Showdown goal.
But while he again failed to commit to a tough 50-50 contest in the centre of the ground during the game, his form has actually been very strong in the past five weeks.
He has kicked 10 goals, including three-goal hauls against Geelong and Essendon and had 34 score assists in that time, with his season not up to his high standards but still a 30-goal year.
Dropping him in round 24 will require some explanation from the club on Thursday at selection, but any suggestion the demotion is form-based will ring hollow from the football department.
They will have to explain why he is not the scapegoat for another loss under Matthew Nicks’ tenure.
Should Josh Rachele be picked by Adelaide for round 24?
YesNo
Cast your vote
Josh Rachele is facing the axe from Adelaide’s team after a week in the headlines. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images
It will also give rise to claims the club is trying to stifle his exuberant personality when Adelaide has showmen like Taylor Walker and Izak Rankine who also love to fire up the crowds.
The decision will also put a spotlight on the media deals he has with Adelaide companies, which include sister stations 5AA and Nova.
He went on both of those stations as part of his deal this week in contracts that are organised by his management.
Those lucrative deals supplement his income, with Rachele contracted to 2029.
He also had a deal with Channel 9 but he sacked that contract earlier in the year after he drew headlines when he said he wasn’t sure why he wasn’t being given more midfield time.
Rachele did not front for his weekly 5AA appearance on Thursday morning.
Rachele embraces Matthew Nicks after a win in April. Picture: Michael Klein
You are watching
Josh Rachele says Port Adelaide fans have no teethContinue watching
SHARE
Click to unmute
While rivals will be sure to ask about his services given what shapes as a long and difficult summer, Adelaide will give short shrift to any trade talk given that contract for the next five seasons.
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks, under intense pressure next year to perform, might also admit he has not been able to effectively harness the talents or personalities of his playing group.
Teammate Rory Laird slapped Rachele midweek when he suggested he should be “letting his footy do the talking”.
“We all know that Josh has engaged in this before in terms of some of the stuff he does on-field. He’s a big celebrator and he’s just a very passionate guy, I think, and he came out and said it was a bit of a joke and a bit of a laugh — but it is something we try and shy away from,” he said.
“It’s not something many of our players would go out and try to do. It was a little bit misaligned as to how we approach these games. I think Josh understands that.
“He kept going on with it and it was in line with how the game was, it was such a passionate and intense game that he probably got to the game and continued on with it instead of just letting his footy do the talking.
“I can understand how passionate some players get … it just happens out there, you just get caught in the moment with the adrenaline and the crowd and how intense it was.”
More Coverage
Would you like Josh Rachele at your club?
Yes
57 %
No
43 %
286 votes
Originally published as Jon Ralph analyses Adelaide’s decision to drop Josh Rachele foir round 24
Southerntakeover
Too Sweet
Friendly reminder to posters
Southerntakeover
Too Sweet
It's not perfectly aligned. We can't all be Photoshop experts like Frothiewalker
I hear you, but that's underrating their arrogance and sense of always being correct.
Last edited:
- Aug 5, 2013
- 2,533
- 2,278
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
My biggest "issue"* with the dumb pre-game jokes is that it's exactly the sort of stupid nonsense a club having a poor year would do to stoke up enthusiasm for the local derby.
Therefore it's reasonable to suspect Rachele was acting on club instructions.
Which would mean any omission would likely be disciplinary action for doing his job as instructed.
Which is almost definitely a violation of working conditions.
Which is a violation of the player contract.
Thus it's entirely logical to take this to mean Rachele could have said contract torn up Paddy Ryder style.
Therefore it's almost certain that Josh Rachele is about to walk to another club for nothing.
It's just science
*My actual opinion is that it's offensive that I'm expected to have an opinion about this.
Therefore it's reasonable to suspect Rachele was acting on club instructions.
Which would mean any omission would likely be disciplinary action for doing his job as instructed.
Which is almost definitely a violation of working conditions.
Which is a violation of the player contract.
Thus it's entirely logical to take this to mean Rachele could have said contract torn up Paddy Ryder style.
Therefore it's almost certain that Josh Rachele is about to walk to another club for nothing.
It's just science
*My actual opinion is that it's offensive that I'm expected to have an opinion about this.
All year the club has stuck the boot in, never once have they backed him in, they have let the media tear shreds off him for multitude of reasons.
He is the face of the club for the younger generation, teen girls love him, he has character and rizz and we are trying to beat it out of him as a club and turn him into a crowbot. It's disgraceful, I am so ready to say goodbye to being an AFL and Crows fan. The incompetence of the club has been on full display for 7 years now.
He is the face of the club for the younger generation, teen girls love him, he has character and rizz and we are trying to beat it out of him as a club and turn him into a crowbot. It's disgraceful, I am so ready to say goodbye to being an AFL and Crows fan. The incompetence of the club has been on full display for 7 years now.
Talking about it on SEN if anyone's interested.
They're smacking the club.
They can't believe the overreaction, there's nothing wrong with a kid being who he is without doing anything bad, other clubs are going to come for him and will be lining up, he's going to have all summer with that being the ending, saying Matthew Nicks you knew what you were getting with him. They can't believe it, neither can first callers.
They're smacking the club.
They can't believe the overreaction, there's nothing wrong with a kid being who he is without doing anything bad, other clubs are going to come for him and will be lining up, he's going to have all summer with that being the ending, saying Matthew Nicks you knew what you were getting with him. They can't believe it, neither can first callers.
- Jun 21, 2014
- 9,095
- 10,142
- AFL Club
- Adelaide
Definitely not! The rant will simply change to "he's only back in because of the media backlash, including us; sack the coach".
Josh can thank his lucky stars he didn't move one of Nicks water bottles, Rory Atkins style
