Twelve months ago, Alex Neal-Bullen fronted a press conference at Adelaide Oval ahead of the AFL’s Gather Round in a Melbourne guernsey.

Now, the 29-year-old is preparing to play in the festival of footy in his home state for the Crows, the team he barracked for growing up.

Adelaide will kick off Gather Round for a third-straight season - this year against Geelong - and will be looking to return to the winners’ list after a heartbreaking one-point loss to Gold Coast.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Neal-Bullen said players would not dwell on the loss to the Suns, with the switch flipped to the game against the Cats.

“I was standing next to my now Captain in different colours - it’s funny how 12 months can change a few things - but I am really excited to be here at the start of Gather Round,” Neal-Bullen said.

“Whenever you lose a tight game like that it’s obviously devastating.

“But for us, our sole focus is literally to dial in each week and whoever the opposition is, give it our best shot to show who we are as a footy club.

“It’s been a theme of our footy club this pre-season and since I’ve arrived here is our ability to stay in the moment, whatever is thrown at us.”

Neal-Bullen‘s career as a Crow has got off to a strong start, with the forward averaging 17.8 disposals and four tackles across four games, helping Adelaide to a 3-1 win/loss record.

“I’ve loved my first four weeks here,” Neal-Bullen said.

“We’ve obviously been able to play some really good footy at home, which has been great.

“From an on-field perspective, I am really proud of how the group has been able to deal with some challenges, momentum swings, and always give ourselves an opportunity to win.”

Neal-Bullen also lauded teammate and fellow forward Riley Thilthorpe’s start to 2025, with the 22-year-old averaging 15.5 disposals, and 6.3 tackles, while booting 14 goals.

“I’m so proud of that bloke for how he’s started the year but also how he handles himself around the footy club,” Neal-Bullen said.

“He’s a player that I love playing with and you can see that across the whole group, but also the fans, you can see every time he’s around the footy, the joy he brings to our supporters.

“I had the opportunity to train with him at Karen Rolton Oval before pre-season got underway, I saw his work ethic and how much he commits himself to being a professional athlete.

“Seeing what he’s achieving at this early stage is a credit to him but also his teammates around him - you’ve got Tex Walker who’s been around the Club for a long time, Darcy Fogarty who’s a player who knows the nature of the game… it says to me that this club is built of the right stuff.”

Geelong will enter the match after a win against Melbourne at the weekend and Neal-Bullen said he was looking forward to the challenge.

“These are the games you want to be a part of and we’re playing an outfit that for as long as I’ve been involved in footy and watching as a kid, they turn up each week,” Neal-Bullen said.

“What a challenge for this footy club… Geelong is a team that has players across all lines that contribute in a way that can be really hurtful to an opposition.

“For us now, it’s the ability to prepare well, recover well today and move on to that game with a clear mindset.”

Adelaide hosts Geelong at Adelaide Oval on Thursday at 7.10pm (ACST).