Adelaide Crows star Josh Rachele has revealed an awful message he received on his social media account in the aftermath of his side’s win over the Richmond Tigers.
Rachele, 23, has posted a screenshot of a text which was sent from an account on Instagram, stating ‘end your life please’.
The so-called footy fan’s despicable comment came just weeks after the brother of Rachele’s teammate Jordan Dawson died by suicide.
Rachele’s post included a response to the slur, with the star writing, ‘Messages like these are never welcome. Words have meaning, words have impact.’
The angry fan’s message surfaced after Rachele kicked the final goal in his side’s 98-61 win at the MCG on Sunday.
Moments after his kick went through, the 23-year-old infuriated some Richmond fans by making a ‘hanging up the phone’ gesture.
Pictured: The post that Adelaide Crows star Josh Rachele used to expose a troll who sent him a disgraceful message after his team’s win over Richmond on Sunday
The slur directed at Rachele (pictured) comes just weeks after the Crows were rocked by the death of skipper Jordan Dawson’s brother Jaryd
Rachele (pictured with partner Cartia Condo) took a stand after Elijah Hollands suffered a mental health episode in a match against Collingwood on April 16
Tigers star Seth Campbell performed the same celebration in last week’s victory over West Coast.
The awful message sent to Rachele follows a difficult few weeks for the AFL, with the league probed about its mental health processes following Elijah Hollands’ on-field breakdown in a match against Collingwood.
Carlton have been hit with a $75,000 fine for mishandling the concerning situation involving the 23-year-old.
Hollands is currently sidelined after being admitted to hospital as a result of his erratic behaviour in the match on April 16.
AFL officials have confirmed the league will implement several changes around mental health care as a result of the investigation.
They have also revealed the league has conducted its own inquiries into the harrowing incident.
‘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,’ AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said.
‘The delay … resulted in an outcome that brought the game into disrepute. These findings have been made against the Carlton Football Club collectively, not against any individual.’
Hollands was admitted to hospital four days after the Collingwood match, with his return date still unknown.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636
