For Josh Rachele, a more permanent move into the Crows’ on-ball brigade this pre-season has been fuelled by a simple motivation - doing whatever he can to help the team continue to improve.

After spending much of his first four AFL campaigns with Adelaide as a forward, Rachele is now relishing the challenge of learning a new craft in the midfield.

The 22-year-old’s shift into the centre was on display during the Crows’ internal trial in Port Augusta on Friday afternoon, giving him a chance to put into practise all he has trained over the summer.

Speaking to AFC Media post-game, Rachele said building his running capacity and using his strength around stoppages had been a focus with the positional shift this pre-season.

“It’s about wherever I can (play) to help the team get better. I played a fair bit of mid in my juniors so it’s been great to show my strengths in the midfield,” Rachele said.

“It’s been great this pre-season, I’ve done a lot of work in the midfield, myself and Izak (Rankine) have been in there a lot, and I think you’ll probably see that a fair bit going into this year, especially around centre bounces and stoppages.

“For myself, it’s been about learning that new craft. I had done a lot of work as a forward the past four years, so I’ve worked a lot on my tank - that’s something that I have really worked on the past couple of years - and my strength as well.

“I’ve always been pretty strong in the gym, but it’s about being able to put that into games now and use my body well. I still have a fair bit to work on, but it’s been a great experience so far.”

Learning from the Crows’ experienced midfielders has been a key focus for Rachele and Friday’s internal trial allowed him to test himself against the team’s more established on-ballers.

“I think it’s been great to learn from so many boys, like Daws, Sam Berry, and Jakey Soligo as well,” Rachele said.

“It’s helped me so much in my development as a midfielder, especially today, it was great to go on the opposite team and play on Daws and Izak and JP and really test myself out against a better midfield.

“One of our big messages today is that there’s no ‘I’ in team and for us to win games this year we have to be on the same page and have that good connection.

“For myself, it’s just good to get another opportunity in the midfield, practise what I’ve been doing in the pre-season, and working out what I need to work on.”

Alongside his on-field development, Rachele, who is set to enter his fifth season with the Crows has also embraced a greater leadership focus.

He says he now takes pride in helping to set standards and help guide the Club’s younger players as the Crows set their sights on improving from last year’s semi-final exit.

“I had a great conversation with Nicksy and he put it to me, he said ‘if you want to be in there (the midfield) you train at the level, you learn off the others, and you drive the standards at training’,” Rachele said.

“And I've loved it. I feel like we’ve got such a tight-knit group, especially our one-to-five, one-to-six year group, we are so close, everyone loves each other’s company.

“I really try to help the younger boys… We’ve done a fair bit of value sessions to try and create a bit more connection within the group and help boys open up and be a bit vulnerable.

“The younger boys are so great - you’ve got Ludo (Archie Ludowyke), (Mitch) Marsh, and Indy (Cotton) who have just come in and are so curious, they’re asking questions, and they’re not afraid to speak up as well. it's such a great thing, and I think it’s really going to help our culture going forward.”

The internal trial culminated the Crows’ community camp in the Spencer Gulf and gave the squad an opportunity to fine-tune ahead of a match simulation against Port Adelaide next week.

Rachele said players were keen to test themselves against an opposition after lining up against each other for the past month.

“It's going to be great, they've got an amazing midfield, probably one of the best in the League, so I am really looking forward to lining up on those boys,” Rachele said.

“It’s always a good fight against them, we know what they’re going to bring, and it’s good to be playing a different opposition.

“We’ll just be coming back to the team, and playing our role and for myself just keeping it simple and going back to my strengths.

“Hopefully we have a good win to give us some confidence going into Freo.”

The Crows will face the Power in a match simulation at Alberton Oval on Friday, February 20, from 5.30pm.

Gates will open at 2.55pm, with a match between SANFL and non-selected AFL players from each team to take place at 3pm.