Adelaide young gun Josh Rachele will get a break with Taylor Walker also out of clash with Geelong

The weekly toll of AFL football has caught up with an Adelaide star while a former captain has been hit by Covid.

Josh Rachele needs a rest. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

The Adelaide Crows have decided it’s in rising star Josh Rachele’s “best interest” to have a rest and he won’t play against Geelong on Saturday.

Star forward Taylor Walker has also been also ruled out due to AFL health and safety protocols.

Assistant coach Scott Burns confirmed Rachele, who has played every game in 2022 after being taken at pick six by the Crows in last year’s draft, needed “a breather”.

Burns said the 19-year-old, who has kicked 15 goals in his debut season, had “tapered off” as the rigours of AFL footy intensified. He said Rachele copped a corked thigh last weekend against St Kilda and needed a rest.

Expected “wet and windy” conditions at Geelong on Saturday helped the Adelaide coaching staff make the decision on Rachele who has kicked just three goals in his past five games after a stunning five-goal debut in round 1.

“We’ll give Josh a breather,” Burns said on Wednesday.

“He’s done terrifically well, Josh, to come in round 1 – you can probably see he’s slightly tapering off (after) a few more knocks and a few more hits.

Josh Rachele has been a revelation for the Crows. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

“But it’s in his best interest to (have) a breather, he won’t play this week.”

Burns said the absence of Walker, who entered health and safety protocols late on Tuesday, would be hard to fill.

“He’s been our best in-form key forward, so there’s a hole,” he said.

Despite a mammoth effort in the SANFL last weekend, ruckman Reilly O’Brien wasn’t an “obvious” return to play against Geelong, Burns said, with the Crows happy with Kieran Strachan’s work.

“It’s not obvious,” Burns said.

“Reilly was good, really good last week. But we are still going through so many things at the moment. There’s a few other sore boys we are waiting to see how they go.

“Selection will go right down to the wire.”

Burns said they hadn’t ruled out playing both O’Brien and Vaughan in the same side.

“We’ll consider everything at this point in time,” he said.

“We’ve been thrown the curveball with Test … there’s a little bit to play out yet.”

Taylor Walker won’t play against Geelong. Picture: James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Key defender Jordon Butts will also return from his Covid-forced out, just in time as the Crows look to stop Geelong’s power-forward duo of Tom Hawkins and Jeremy Cameron.

“He’s had Covid, he’s had a week off, there’s always that little unknown when the boys come back from that, how they will perform,” Burns said.

“At the end of training I had a quick chat, he had a big smile on his face and said he felt great. Hopefully he adds a bit to us this weekend.”

Originally published as Adelaide young gun Josh Rachele will get a break with Taylor Walker also out of clash with Geelong