AFL great cautions Crows to “tread warily” if omitting controversial Josh Rachele

Garry Lyon has cautioned Adelaide to think long and hard before making the call to omit Josh Rachele this weekend.

The small forward caused a stir last week, calling out Port Adelaide fans for apparently lacking teeth. He then gestured to his own teeth after kicking a goal in the club’s Showdown defeat.

However, he only had 10 disposals in the game and was called out publicly after the game by the likes of Power Chairman David Koch, Kane Cornes and even teammate Rory Laird.

Laird told SEN SA that the comments were “misaligned” with the club’s values, saying “it is something we try and shy away from”.

AFL Media’s Cal Twomey is reporting that Rachele is now set to be omitted for the club’s final game of the season against Sydney.

However, Lyon wonders whether it’s the right call to send the 21-year-old into the summer stewing on a week of criticism before being dropped.

“He’s a young man who has brought a lot of attention on himself. He got roundly criticised after the weekend, and I understand why,” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.

“Just put yourself in Josh Rachele’s shoes right now. He’s been smashed and I imagine in Adelaide it’s even worse and now a senior player comes out and says publicly they would’ve preferred if he hadn’t done it.

“And now they’re telling me that he’s going to be dropped.

“Tread warily on this, I think. He’s still a young kid and some kids mature slower.

“Adelaide, I think, need to tread warily here. If they drop him this week, is that what you want him stewing on for the next six months? The fact that he would be feeling publicly called out by a teammate, a week of criticism and then he’s got six months to think about it.

“Other people would say good, let that drive him, but wouldn’t you rather back him in, wrap your arms around him and back him in?

“He’s a talented kid and they’re hard to find and they’ve invested heavily in him in the draft. Do you want to drop him for the last game?

“Do you want him in that frame of mind in the off-season? It’s a fair bit to consume at the end of a season.”

The Crows have had a disappointing season and are locked into a bottom four finish after coming into the season with finals aspirations.