Kane Cornes slams Adelaide pair Josh Rachele and Riley Thilthorpe for ’embarrassing’ pre-match anticsBen Sutton7NEWS SportTue, 16 September 2025 9:18AM
Kane Cornes has taken aim at Adelaide pair Josh Rachele and Riley Thilthorpe for their “embarrassing” antics before the Crows’ loss to Hawthorn on Friday night.
Rachele, who was making his return from injury, arrived at Adelaide Oval with a fake beard to look like teammate Thilthorpe.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Crows players slammed for embarrassing finals behaviour.
The gun forward smiled and winked at the camera, while Thilthorpe could be seen laughing in the background.
Thilthorpe, meanwhile, poked his tongue out during the national anthem.
“I saw some embarrassing things on the weekend, but none more so than this arrival from Josh Rachele,” Cornes said on The Agenda Setters.
“Like, come on. This is not a time to be having that sort of fun. There’s the Thilseeker (Thilthorpe), He thought it was hilarious.
“He also poked his tongue out during the National Anthem. They’ve obviously been told, ‘just relax, be yourselves,’ … ridiculous, particularly when you perform like that.
“Straight sets.”
Fellow panellist Caroline Wilson agreed with Cornes.
“It was embarrassing, I agree,” she said.
The Agenda Setters host Craig Hutchison suggested that maybe they should have gone back to the polarising “power stance”, which was criticised during the Crows’ grand final run in 2017.
Meanwhile, Cornes was happy to show off all his receipts after the Crows’ straight-sets finals exit.
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Cornes has been highly critical of playing three tall forwards Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty and Taylor Walker, with much of his criticism centred on veteran Walker.
The Port Adelaide great was happy to gloat about their finals failure and in particular the poor performance of Walker in the semi-final.
“I’ve got so many receipts. I’ve argued with you about it all year. And every Monday you bring it up,” Cornes said as he theatrically threw all his receipts in the air.
“Receipts everywhere. It’s tax time. I’m dancing on yours and others and everyone else that wanted to have a crack at me all year about it when they’re kicking goals against Richmond and West Coast.
“He (Walker) was OK throughout the home and away season. He was absolutely exposed in the final series when Jack Scrimshaw is getting coaches’ votes playing against you.
“And he’s been a great player, star of the club, legend, 300-game player, will be in their Hall of Fame. All of that.”
The future of Walker is now firmly in the spotlight with the forward out of contract and weighing up his future.
Cornes believes the club should take the decision out of Walker’s hands.
“Absolutely, I’m calling time. I called time last year and it’s not just about his performance. It’s about the flow-on effect for the teammates around him,” he said.
“Because he’s such a commanding figure and draws the football, that’s why no one goes to Fogarty.
“And Fogarty’s got a seven-year deal. He’s got to be the future with the Thilseeker of this forward line.
“And you can’t have this vision where a 35-year-old just doesn’t compete on the biggest stage of all.
“So what I don’t like is when clubs make the player, make the decision about whether they want to go.
“We’ve seen it at other clubs. I think Travis Boak’s a good example of that.
“Hard clubs make hard calls on very respected and influential players.
“He hasn’t heard the right. Who earns the right? Your performance earns the right.”
Coach Matthew Nicks couldn’t say for certain if Walker would continue for another crack.
“We’ll sit down with Tex (Walker) and a few others and just talk through what it looks like,” Nicks said after the loss on Friday night.
“I love the Texan. There’s different things that Tex brings to our group on a footy field that aren’t necessarily just kicks and marks and handballs.
“There’s a leadership component to it.
“I guess we’ll lick our wounds at the moment, and then we’ll sit down. Similar (with Smith), it will be a conversation.”
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