If the foreign minister thought he had the numbers to topple Ms Gillard as prime minister he would launch a challenge, Mr Crean says.
"(But) he hasn't and he won't," he told ABC Radio on Monday.
"What's got to happen is the prime minister has got to have the discussion with him.
"After all, he's foreign minister because of a discussion they (Ms Gillard and Mr Rudd) had during the last election campaign."
Mr Crean said he didn't know the details of that discussion but it was along the lines of, "I will have you in a senior position in my team but you have got to be part of my team".
The regional development minister said Mr Rudd was "clearly not playing as part of the team" and therefore Ms Gillard should confront him and have a conversation.
"(And) if he can't be part of the team he should exit the team or challenge."
Asked if Ms Gillard should sack the foreign minister, Mr Crean replied: "That's a question of judgement for her based on that conversation."
Mr Crean said Mr Rudd was failing to convince Labor MPs of the need to reinstate him as prime minister and his supporters' alternative strategy was to go public.
"For all the time that he has been trying to say that he is different, a different Kevin, a new Kevin, all he does is reinforce the old Kevin," he said.
Mr Crean said Mr Rudd was elected as a Labor MP, not because he was Kevin Rudd the individual, and that he had a responsibility to the party.
"The sooner that is understood ... the sooner it is accepted and acted upon, the better, not just for us but in my view for the nation."
It's been suggested one reason Ms Gillard has been reluctant to read the riot act to Mr Rudd is that he could quit politics thereby forcing a by-election which Labor could lose.
That could potentially bring down the government.
But Mr Crean said no loyal Labor MP would knowingly trigger a by-election in the current circumstances of minority government.
"He's either got to put up or shut up," the Victorian minister said.
Despite the tough talk Mr Crean expressed some sympathy for Mr Rudd over a leaked expletive-laden YouTube video of out-takes.
He said those who knew Mr Rudd were not surprised by the footage.
"He wouldn't be the only person that gets exasperated by a take and being required to make another take of a TV presentation," Mr Crean said.
"This is how farcical the exercise has become."
Mr Crean ruled himself out as a possible compromise candidate for the Labor leadership.
"The responsibility for us is to stem the mutual destruction that is going on and get back to some principles of integrity and openness and honesty and frankness, and being prepared to confront the issue directly - not just deal with this madness that is going on by leaking."
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