WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - ALEX NEAL-BULLEN

[Port Demons 124]

Yeah but if he lacks the burst to play forward or the speed and skill off half back or the wing I think he could learn and take over from Crossy. Tagging is very underrated I think. It's a full time midfield position going against the other teams best player. He certainly helps get us to that idea of 10+ midfielders in the team in a variety of positions, just tagging could be one.

He also looks a bit like Trent Cotchin in his highlight vids, so maybe who knows he ends up so good that he's the main man and Petracca and Brayshaw have to play roles around him. You never know.

Just what I was thinking watching his highlights Georgiou (referencing Cotchin). He seems to be in similar positions and performs breakaways much like Cotchin does. Looks to plays others into the game which is team first mentality

[ben russell 764]

Love the fact we have picked up two sets of best mates....bodes well for building ateaam for the future. Are we moving to SA?

I really like that too. You can tell in their interview that Petracca and Brayshaw are genuinely rapt to be playing alongside one another at the MFC. Stretch was also very quick to get on Twitter to express his happiness with the recruitment of his best mate, Neal-Bullen. Was nice to pick up an existing players brother too.

[DemonTux 95]

Already looks to be the player gysberts should have become. To me sorry looks a better equipped doppelganger

which is a good thing

Edited November 27, 2014 by DemonTux

[jazza 1,323]

Midfielder from Glenelg SA and a teammate of Billy Stretch

181.5cm 76kg

Knightmare had him going at # 21to St. Kilda.

We now have two players with hyphenated names - a sign of the days of old.

Hyphenated names are popping up everywhere,trend started on the cosby show.

Just shows how far behind the americans we are.

One wonders if the trend will last more than 5 years.

The next big trend will be to follow Harry and Brian Lake and we might see name changes become the new fashion.

JackHisCocks could be next cab off the rank to do this "name change thingeemabob'

[ben russell 764]

Just watched Neal-Bullen's highlights for the first time. He has a lovely kick on him and looks as though he plays a lot of his footy off half back.

Perhaps he could end up playing that running half back role that we have so desperately been looking for.

[bananas 428]

Really liked in his highlights video, he seems to have a knack for getting the ball and changing the direction/angle of play, wrong-footing the opposition defence and putting his team-mates into space. Shows a good footy brain and, as others have said, appears a bit Cotchin-ish.

Given how he seems to like being in the middle of packs, he's gonna need a bit of time to get the body that'll let him do it at AFL level, so I don't expect to see him much (if at all) this year. But hey, I barrack for Melbourne, I can be patient.

[Grimes Times 1,278]

I think Paige Cardona and Knightmare also had him at 21.

I rate Knightmare as a good judge.

All the different phantom draft these days just seem to be follow the leader.

For weeks Pertracca was No. 1 and then somebody goes with McCartin and bang everyone followed with out any real inside info.

[jnrmac 19,007]

Love the fact we have picked up two sets of best mates....bodes well for building ateaam for the future. Are we moving to SA?

Maybe they learnt from the (wines....) experience ...

[beelzebub 22,225]

Maybe they learnt from the (wines....) experience ...

shhhh

[Dwight Schrute 16,802]

Mfc rated Alex a late first rounder.. awesome result

[tappysquads 618]

Love the fact we have picked up two sets of best mates....bodes well for building ateaam for the future. Are we moving to SA?

And the brother of one of our future stars! And a bloke named Jesse hogan

[wattsindawes 57]

Great pickup for the dees - will complement toumpy/watts well i would have thought. Win the ball on the inside flick it to toumpy/watts cruising off the half back flank. We will see with the pick up of AB, CP, AN-B with the addition of JG, HL, and the Hulk really release players that have been lost for position or played out of position on a needs basis. Would love to see Watts settle in play that QB roll like a Birchall.

[Watts Jurrah Dunn? 735]

Mfc rated Alex a late first rounder.. awesome result

And some people on here wanted to honour Evans' contract.

I went on like a broken record that it would be a terrible mistake if a rebuilding club was out of an even draft with only 2 live picks and Stretch. There will be good players available at 40, I kept stressing. Thank goodness the club did the right thing and moved Evans on.

[rpfc 27,491]

And some people on here wanted to honour Evans' contract.

I went on like a broken record that it would be a terrible mistake if a rebuilding club was out of an even draft with only 2 live picks and Stretch. There will be good players available at 40, I kept stressing. Thank goodness the club did the right thing and moved Evans on.

Barry was the vacancy that opened up ND40. Evans was ND53.

Your point stands but its poor list planning to have to delist contracted players. It's not advisable to do it often.

[Nasher 33,068]

And some people on here wanted to honour Evans' contract.

Who did?

Alternate question: in what way have we not honoured Evans' contract?

[Grimes Times 1,278]

AFL draft 2014: Emma Quayle's first-round predictions

Alex Neal-Bullen (Glenelg)

Born, 9.1.1996, 182cm, 77kg

AFL biography: Damaging Medium Midfielder particularly around stoppages uses his quick, clean hands to great effect. Key player in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships averaging 18.7 disposals (10.2 contested) and 4.2 tackles. Is a courageous footballer with elite endurance and has played senior football for Glenelg.

Brenton Phillips, SANFL: "Alex is an outside midfielder who can get hold of the ball, he has a bit of Trent Cotchin about him, some of the same moves. He didn't kick the ball as well during the national championships as I've seen him kick, but he was under instruction to clear stoppages and get the ball forward as quickly as he could, and that meant ramming it onto his foot and getting it out of there. His efficiency rating would be low because of that, but he can kick and he played some really good senior football at Glenelg this year and showed good leadership there. They were pretty ordinary this year but he was in there controlling stoppages and getting guys into the right positions.

[Redleg 37,655]

Love the fact we have picked up two sets of best mates....bodes well for building ateaam for the future. Are we moving to SA?

And added a brother.

[Redleg 37,655]

Your point stands but its poor list planning to have to delist contracted players. It's not advisable to do it often.

Agree it shouldn't be done where it can be avoided, but It's not possible to get it perfect.

What looks a good move today sometime proves a bad one a year later. It is an inexact science. There will always be some cases where hindsight rules.

To those who wanted to keep Evans, I say, I am rapt to have Oscar.

[DeeZee 6,753]

Great pick up....geez he does move like Cotchin and has a bit of the Dane Swans about him.

[rpfc 27,491]

Agree it shouldn't be done where it can be avoided, but It's not possible to get it perfect.

What looks a good move today sometime proves a bad one a year later. It is an inexact science. There will always be some cases where hindsight rules.

To those who wanted to keep Evans, I say, I am rapt to have Oscar.

Agree, I like that we got value back from the ND23 trade too by using those picks.

I don't like it when we lose value in trades by not using picks returned in a trade.

It's quite a haul for ND23 now by the looks of those that fell to 40 and 53...

[dazzledavey36 48,844]

He compares himself to Rory Soane and he is not wrong.

Will continue to scrap and fight hard at the contest. If he turn out to be half the player Sloane is we will be laughing!

[rpfc 27,491]

Who did?

Alternate question: in what way have we not honoured Evans' contract?

Yes, I remember it being a nuanced discussion, various opinions were:

- it's not advisable to terminate contracted players, or to do it often more to the point

- the rookie list is not seen by those on the primary list as a similar-in-all-but-name destination

- that we should simply move on entirely and not bother offering a RL spot but 'honour the contract'

- that we MUST offer the RL spot as 'honouring the contract'

I am not certain there were many solidly against the use of termination and taking ND53 to the draft.

[Redleg 37,655]

Agree, I like that we got value back from the ND23 trade too by using those picks.

I don't like it when we lose value in trades by not using picks returned in a trade.

It's quite a haul for ND23 now by the looks of those that fell to 40 and 53...

So for pick 23 we got Frost, Neal-Bullen and Oscar. Have to be rapt with that.

[rpfc 27,491]

So for pick 23 we got Frost, Neal-Bullen and Oscar. Have to be rapt with that.

Yes, it is almost a bit surreal to think of the handwringing (my own aswell) over that trade - it now looks to have swung around entirely...

Edited November 28, 2014 by rpfc

[ChaserJ 3,964]

Agree, I like that we got value back from the ND23 trade too by using those picks.

I don't like it when we lose value in trades by not using picks returned in a trade.

It's quite a haul for ND23 now by the looks of those that fell to 40 and 53...

Tweeted earlier that I believe this two for one deal won't get as much coverage as the Tyson deal, but could be another significant trade win for us.