‘Let his footy do the talking’: Crows teammate joins critics of livewire’s Showdown sledge

Adelaide Crows star Josh Rachele has been criticised and told to “let his footy do the talking” after his antagonistic antics in the Showdown last week.

Teammate Rory Laird has joined the chorus of experts who have let their feelings be known about Rachele’s provocative pre-match banter and by extension, behaviour in-game.

When Rachele booted a classy goal on the run, he ran over to the boundary line and celebrated by pointing to his teeth, much to the disdain of the Power fans who had packed out Adelaide Oval.

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“He continued on with it instead of letting his footy do the talking,” Laird said on SEN.

“He said it was a joke and a bit of a laugh, but it is something that we try to shy away from. It was a bit misaligned as to how we approach these games,” he said.

Rachele lit the fuse before the match by taking to the airwaves to sledge the Port Adelaide faithful.

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

Fox Footy’s On the Couch highlighted vision of Rachele not committing to a loose ball contest against Port Adelaide, where young Power player Logan Evans, in his first year at the top level, was tougher at the ball.

“That’s the moment everyone’s found,” Melbourne champion Garry Lyon began.

“It’s not as if it’s Ollie Wines or Zak Butters coming the other way, that’s a first year player,” Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley replied.

“What’s your advice then? Everyone’s criticized him which is fair enough. But he’s looking at the game and going ‘hang on, I’m watching Hawthorn blokes running around taking selfies and doing this and that, why can’t I?” Lyon asked the panel.

“Keep going but follow through. You’ve actually got to improve. I don’t mind if you put yourself out there, but you’ve got to follow through,” Buckley replied.

“There’s a fair chance that he was in that press conference in the moment and someone dropped that thought into his psyche a couple of hours earlier and it just came out. But you’ve still got to follow through.”

“That is 100% right. The advice is if you’re going to do it, put your head in the hole,” Lyon said.

Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown said it might have been tongue in cheek, but Lyon questioned how it was different to the showboating that Hawthorn’s youngsters are doing at the moment.

“I worked for NOVA for seven years, there’s a lot of tongue in cheek,” he began.

“But the main thing is, out on the field, I’m not sure about targeting opposition supporters, there’s a difference between that and taking selfies at Hawthorn.

“But Hawthorn blokes rile up supporters?” Lyon posed.

“That’s sort of around themselves though. That’s part of a camaraderie thing, they’re not taking the mickey out of opposition supporters,” Brown responded.

“I think park it for another 12, 15 games and get yourself going again Josh,” Lyon said.