ALEX Neal-Bullen says he has already noticed an increased resolve among the playing group during the first two weeks of pre-season training.

The 21-year-old added that there was genuine buzz among the players who have returned from their off-season break.

“Everyone is upbeat and there is a good vibe, as there always is at this time of the year. I just think that the difference is that you can just already tell how determined everyone is,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“Maxy [Gawn] was back for his first session on Monday and he’s looking as lean as I’ve ever seen him, and he’s running as well as I’ve ever seen him. He’s made a statement already about what we want to see from everyone this year.

“Even Jonesy (Nathan Jones) was at the club on Monday and getting around us younger boys, so you can tell that everyone is raring to go and we want to get back into it.” 

Neal-Bullen made the most of his off-season, spending time back home in South Australia, while also travelling to New South Wales and the United States.   

“I went up to Byron Bay with a few of the boys – Tommy McDonald, Melky (Jake Melksham), Frosty (Sam Frost) and Domma (Dom Tyson). We all went to Byron Bay a couple of weeks after the season and got some warm weather. Then I headed back to Adelaide for a couple of weeks and then came back for the best and fairest,” he said.

“I also went to America with my best mate [Jacob Lava ] from home. We also caught up with Gawny (Max Gawn) and Tommy [McDonald] and their partners for a couple of weeks.

“We started in the West Coast, through Los Angeles and San Francisco, and then headed through the heart of it, through Las Vegas, Boston and New Orleans and then finished in New York. We did it in three and a half weeks.”

Although Neal-Bullen made the most of his off-season, he ensured his training regime was up to standard.

“I didn’t let myself go on those three weeks, when you’re not doing anything [post-season],” he said.

“If anything, I just did a solid amount of work through those first couple of weeks. I was on the bike with my old man, going for a ride down to Adelaide and keeping the body moving at gym or boxing. They were probably the key things that allowed me not to lose our fitness.

“Over in America, I did some solid training with my best mate, around the gyms in the local area. I found some good ovals to run around and I kept up a good fitness level and maintained it throughout that whole eight-week break.”

And it’s already paid early dividends, with Neal-Bullen being lauded for his work early in the pre-season.

“It’s been good to get on the front foot early and come back in good condition, because it always helps you – not only at the start of training, but to pick up the tempo in the weeks leading into Christmas,” he said.

“It really picks up and you’re already at a fit level, so you can keep building on that.  

“It’s good to be back involved and everyone is looking to build on what we did last year.”