“You'd want to get a kick”: Cornes puts Rachele in the gun after Port supporter sledge

Kane Cornes has put Adelaide forward Josh Rachele in the gun ahead of Saturday’s Showdown against Port Adelaide.

Rachele lit the fuse ahead of the big clash on Adelaide radio station FIVEAA where he sledged Power supporters for not having ‘many teeth’ and stating that he doesn’t care if they boo him for his antics.

“I did mention before that the Port supporters don't have many teeth,” Rachele told FIVEAA.

“I shouldn’t have said that … I know (it’s a Port home game).

“Nah (I’m not concerned if they boo me). I love it.”

In response to those comments, Cornes thinks that Rachele needs to back up his words with actions on the field.

Cornes doesn’t want to see the controversial Crow shirking any contests and he says he loves the pre-game chatter as long as players walk the walk after talking the talk.

“I'm a keen observer of Showdowns and the build-up to it and the talk from both camps,” Cornes told SEN Breakfast.

“As I’ve said before, Port Adelaide has done far too much talking in recent times in the lead-up to Showdowns, but they haven’t this week, it’s been Adelaide.

“So, I'm putting Josh Rachele in the gun, you'd want to get a kick after saying that.

“So, he's gone there. He also said, ‘It's a mini Grand Final’. Josh, you’re bottom four if it’s a mini–Grand Final there’s not a whole lot going for them.

“But anyway, as a young player, he’s going to learn and he’s quite out there – we love that, the media stuff and the celebrations – but if you go there, you’d want to play well.

“When the when there is a high ball that he has to sit under in the first quarter, you’ve got to sit under that footy … I don’t want any of this dropping your head stuff, you’ve got to go back strongly – particularly if you put yourself out there like that.

“It’s good, provided that you back it up. I just want a strong contest because there have been times this year where he hasn't provided a strong contest.”

Adelaide has won the last three Showdowns and they’ll be hoping to cause another boilover on Saturday night as they sit 15th at the start of Round 23 while the Power sit 2nd.