FOR MELBOURNE'S Alex Neal-Bullen, consistency is key.

The small forward, who earned himself a two-year contract extension at the end of May, has taken his game up a notch this season and become a prominent feature of the Dees' lineup.  

Speaking on 3AW Radio, Neal-Bullen acknowledged his shift in mindset, and the role maturity has played in his year to date. 

“For me, it was about having a game that didn’t fluctuate,” Neal-Bullen said on Wednesday. 

“The high half-forward role, it’s definitely not the easiest position to play, but for me, I understand that and it’s about when I have a moment, to make sure that moment’s a good one.

“For an example from the weekend, I can put my hand up and say my first half of my game wasn’t up to the level I wanted.

“But it’s now about having the character and the poise to reset at half time, to make sure that an average game can turn into a good game and that’s something as a player I’ve developed.”

As Melbourne heads into its last six rounds before a hopeful finals berth, Neal-Bullen was candid when discussing the side's varying form over the past month, having lost two of its last four games.

“It’s a very long season and we’re under no illusion that there’s going to be weeks when the team is flat,” he said.

“For us, it was about responding in a way that we want to be seen, for our members for the people that watch us.”

“We want to be known as a tough, contested team and we put that on the agenda.

“We reviewed our game with GWS and understood the improvement that we had to make to be at the level that this team, that the Melbourne Football Club, is striving for.”

Hear more of Neal-Bullen’s chat with 3AW Radio below.