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Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson says Josh Rachele has been exemplary in the pre-season in response to his controversial axing at the end of the last AFL season.

The proverbial penny has dropped for Adelaide's controversial young gun Josh Rachele, his captain Jordan Dawson says.

The skipper says Rachele has been exemplary in response to his much-debated axing for the final AFL game last season.

The 21-year-old was dumped for failing to meet club standards after goading Port Adelaide fans in the lead-up, and during, the last Showdown of the South Australian rivals.

And Dawson has noted a significant shift in Rachele's mentality ahead of the crafty forward's fourth AFL season.

"He's a star of the competition as a young player," Dawson told reporters on Thursday.

"So the pressure has been on him since his first game when he kicked five goals and the whole eyes have been on him.

"And unfortunately, whatever he does it draws attention.

"He wants to be a leader of the club and he wants to help us improve and he wants to be the best player he can be.

"So I've definitely seen all those things in the last year, and especially his pre-season, he's looking to really grow in the leadership space."

Rachele has dismissed any notion of his axing impacting his desire to remain at the Crows, where he's contracted until the end of 2029.

"Josh, he's probably one of those guys - no-one puts more pressure on him than him and he's always looking to improve," Dawson said.

"His attitude has been fantastic.

"He actually had a really good year last year and he's been phenomenal on the track pre-Christmas.

"The shape he's in right now ... he wants to get better and he wants to get better in a hurry.

"And I'm really excited by what he's going to bring as a footballer but also in the leadership space because he really wants that and he has been training exceptionally well."

Adelaide, who haven't played finals since 2017, bolstered their squad with proven players Alex Neal-Bullen, James Peatling and Isaac Cumming in the trade period.

Cumming has been sidelined for the past month because of a hamstring strain.

"He's tracking really well ... a couple of weeks away from joining the main group," Dawson said.

"By the first trial game he should be back, ready to go."

Adelaide's prized No.4 draft selection Sid Draper was also absent from the main training group on Thursday because of back ailment.

"He'll be brought into the main group pretty slowly," said Dawson, who lived with Draper for a month after the draft.

"We've seen snippets of what he's able to do but he's obviously got a lot to learn.

"He an exceptional talent. He's a real professional. He's looking to get better every day and he really wants to get there in a hurry, like Josh.

"If he earns his way in, I definitely see him playing a role ... but he's only 18."