The dynamic Crows' forward and Shepparton Swans product notched up an impressive 25 goals before sustaining a Posterior Capsular tear against Melbourne in round 17.
Despite this setback, Rachele's talent caught the eye of the AFL Players Association, securing him a spot as one of four Crows selected for the 40-player squad.
As the name suggests, the squad recognises the AFL’s premier young stars aged 22 and under, with Rachele progressing to the final squad of 22 in 2023 and 2024.
Taken with the sixth pick in the 2021 AFL Draft, Rachele has been one of Adelaide’s more dynamic small forwards throughout his 69-game career, booting 95 goals.
He was named in the preliminary 40-man edition alongside teammates Jake Soligo, Max Michalanney, and Dan Curtin, with the four young guns prominent in Adelaide’s rise to the top of the ladder and its first finals campaign since 2017.
Fan voting for the final squad closes on Wednesday, August 13, and the final squad will be announced next Wednesday, August 20.
Meanwhile, Rachele finds himself in a race against time to get himself fit for finals.
Crows’ coach Matthew Nicks was unsure of Rachele’s comeback timeline before the round 21 clash against West Coast, but the latest injury update provided by High Performance Manager Chris Burgess was a step in the right direction.
“Josh will get his light brace off this week, and he’ll be on the AlterG treadmill shortly after that,” Burgess said.
“We’re not really in a position to give an exact time frame yet, but we’re confident he’ll return to play at some point this season.”
Tongala’s Harley Reid is also up for further honours.
The West Coast midfielder, named a centre in the 2024 under-22 side, has been impressive again this season to earn another nomination, the sole Eagle in the line-up.
Reid’s season was brought to a premature end after sustaining a syndesmosis injury in the Western Derby.
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