Adelaide Crows star Josh Rachele has revealed an abusive message he received on social media following his team's victory over the Richmond Tigers. The 23-year-old posted a screenshot of an Instagram message that read, 'end your life please'.
The despicable comment came just weeks after the brother of Rachele's teammate Jordan Dawson died by suicide. Rachele's response to the message included the words: 'Messages like these are never welcome. Words have meaning, words have impact.'
The abusive message surfaced after Rachele kicked the final goal in Adelaide's 98-61 win at the MCG on Sunday. Moments after his goal, he made a 'hanging up the phone' gesture, which angered some Richmond fans. Tigers star Seth Campbell had performed the same celebration in the previous week's victory over West Coast.
This incident follows a difficult period for the AFL, which has faced scrutiny over its mental health protocols after Carlton's Elijah Hollands suffered an on-field breakdown during a match against Collingwood on April 16. Hollands, also 23, was admitted to hospital due to erratic behaviour and remains sidelined.
The AFL fined Carlton $75,000 for mishandling the situation. AFL CEO Andrew Dillon stated: 'We found that there was sufficient visual cues, performance data, during the match, and an understanding of Elijah's individual circumstances, to indicate that he should have been removed from play earlier than he was. The delay resulted in an outcome that brought the game into disrepute.'
The league has announced changes to its mental health care processes as a result of the investigation. Hollands' return date remains unknown.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
