# Josh Rachele

Joshua Rachele (/rəˈʃɛli/ rə-SHELL-ee; 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. 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. He was part of the academy for Melbourne City FC and the under-17s Australian team.
He has Italian and Greek heritage.

## AFL career

Rachele made an immediate impact at the Crows, kicking five goals on debut against Fremantle in the opening round of the 2022 AFL season. 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.
Rachele became known for his goal celebrations imitating the likes of Tim Cahill and Kylian Mbappé. On June 21, 2023, Rachele signed a contract extension which would keep him at the club until 2029. At the time, this was the longest current-standing contract of any player at Adelaide, equal with fellow draftee Jake Soligo.
Rachele faced a lot of criticism from the media in the first half of 2024, particularly for a few missed opportunities against Essendon in round 6. Rachele redeemed himself against Essendon in round 19 when one of his three goals was a last-minute match-winner. His celebration, during which he ran to the crowd and hugged a fan, mimicked James Hird's celebration 20 years prior. Rachele was the center of controversy prior to the Showdown against Port Adelaide in round 23 when he used a stereotype of Port fans on FIVEaa. Following the Showdown loss, Rachele received public criticism in the media for the comments, including Kane Cornes and teammate Rory Laird. In the following week, Rachele was named in the 22 Under 22 team for the second time and was omitted for the final game of the year. Despite the late-season omission, Rachele kicked a career-best 30 goals during the season, which was the third highest of any Crow.
Following his controversial end to 2024, Rachele did not miss a beat in the 2025 pre-season, receiving public praise from coach Matthew Nicks and teammate Ben Keays.

## Statistics

    Updated to the end of the 2024 season.
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Votes |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | Votes |
| 2022 | Adelaide | 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 | Adelaide | 8 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 204 | 117 | 321 | 81 | 70 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 9.7 | 5.6 | 15.3 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 0 |
| 2024 | Adelaide | 8 | 22 | 30 | 17 | 202 | 109 | 311 | 79 | 51 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 9.2 | 5.0 | 14.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 0 |
| Career | Career | Career | 56 | 70 | 53 | 499 | 279 | 778 | 196 | 145 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 8.9 | 5.0 | 13.9 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1 |

## Personal life

Since October 2022, Rachele has lived with fellow Victorians and current teammates Luke Nankervis and Jake Soligo. He has a close relationship with former Greater Western Sydney 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. Jason Rachele works on the family-owned orchard in Shepparton.