The Adelaide Crows kicked off their pre-season training this week with a memorable moment that sent shockwaves through their gym. Josh Rachele, already making a name for himself, has been dubbed the AFL’s latest ‘strong guy’ after an impressive display of power.

On Monday, both junior and senior players gathered at Thebarton Oval, marking the start of their rigorous training season. As the team settled into their routine, the spotlight quickly turned to Rachele, whose extraordinary feat of strength captivated everyone present.

In a video shared by the club, the 22-year-old medium forward showcased his formidable power by bench pressing an astonishing 150kg. This remarkable display left his teammates in a state of euphoria, as they erupted into cheers and celebrated his achievement with high spirits.

Among those taken aback by Rachele’s prowess was former AFL player Daniel Gorringe, who, like many fans, expressed awe at the young athlete’s strength. Rachele’s performance has not only inspired his teammates but also set the tone for what promises to be an exciting pre-season for the Adelaide Crows.

‘Vibes are up,’ the Crows captioned the clip. The club added: ‘Get yourself team-mates who celebrate harder than you do.’

Josh Rachele sent his team-mates into meltdown in the gym as the Adelaide Crows returned for pre-season training this week, with one former player branding him the AFL’s newest ‘strong guy’

Rachele, meanwhile, is set to enter his fifth season at the Crows this year and is hoping to bounce back from an injury-plagued campaign that saw him miss the final seven rounds of the regular season

Former AFL star Daniel Gorringe, among many other fans, was left stunned by Rachele’s strength.

Gorringe counted out the discs on either side of the barbell, before stating: ‘It’s over for defenders. If Josh Rachele is benching 150kg on a random Tuesday like it’s nothing, then forget about it Mr Strong Guy.

He added: ‘I’d be absolutely terrified if I was a defender seeing this vision. Josh Rachele is going to bench you out of the stadium. He might stiff-arm you to the turf.’

But there may be some discussion around who is the strongest player currently playing in the AFL.

North Melbourne took to the comments on Gorringe’s post, along with many other fans, claiming that Paul Curtis could out-do Rachele.

‘Paul Curtis when he was 10,’ the Kangaroos said. Another tagged the Roos small forward, writing: ‘That’s cute @PaulCurtis.’

Claims have been made that Curtis can top Rachele’s efforts, with multiple North Melbourne stars stating that the Kangaroos star can bench 165kg.

Brian Taylor reported on Triple M last year that Curtis held both the deadlift and bench press at North Melbourne.

Some, though, believe that North Melbourne star Paul Curtis (pictured) might be the strongest man in the AFL 

North Melbourne took to the comments of an Instagram post by Dan Gorringe, to object to claims that Rachele was the strongest footy player in the league, with some also noting that Curtis benched 165kg last season 

Rachele (pictured) believes his leadership skills have ‘gone to another level from this year’ and is hoping to help guide the Crows back into finals in 2026

Rachele, meanwhile, is set to enter his fifth season at the Crows this year and is hoping to bounce back from an injury-plagued campaign that saw him miss the final seven rounds of the regular season, as well as the Crows’ qualifying-final defeat by Collingwood.

A future leader of the club, Rachele is certainly a player to watch in 2026, as the Crows look to improve on their feats of 2025.

‘I am starting to really enjoy my football over the last four years and really understand my role,’ he told The Advertiser.

‘The last two to three years I’ve had a lot of great learnings over these years and I think I’m starting to mature a bit on the football field.

‘I think my leadership has gone to another level from this year and it is something I am hoping to strive for in the coming years as well.

‘I think we have a great one to five, one to six year group. We’ve got so many leaders within that core and I was very proud of myself as to where I got to both on and off the field and I’m just looking to build on that for next year.’