“That's not a fair trade”: Cornes’ issue with Melbourne's Alex Neal-Bullen deal

The first trade of the 2024 off-season went through on Monday afternoon, with Alex Neal-Bullen joining Adelaide.

Melbourne received pick No. 28 in return for the 28-year-old and SEN’s Sam Edmund felt that trade was a fair deal.

Incredibly, that pick was originally the Demons’ before last off-season when they traded a future second-round pick with Adelaide in exchange for Shane McAdam.

After McAdam played just three games for Melbourne in 2024 and Neal-Bullen played 23 and finished third in the best and fairest – the Demons wouldn’t be too happy about effectively completing a straight swap for the two players, albeit one season later.

While Edmund was pleased with the deal on the surface, his AFL Trade Radio co-host Kane Cornes couldn’t have disagreed more who felt Melbourne was far too easy to negotiate with and didn’t get a full return for a player who had two years remaining on his deal.

Edmund: “I thought Alex Neal-Bullen for pick 28 was the right match.

“A second-rounder felt about right. What didn't feel right, though, was the fact the Crows handed back the second-round pick the Demons had given them only 12 months ago for Shane McAdam, who played three senior games this year.

“If you're looking at it over the course of 12 months, Alex Neal-Bullen for Shane McAdam is not the right match, unfortunately for the Demons.”

Cornes: “Good trading from the Crows, and this is another question I’ve got for Melbourne.

“I know they love Alex Neal-Bullen, and I know there's family reasons behind the move and all of that.

“But why is this the first trade done, and why are they so easy to deal with? That's not a fair trade for Melbourne, isn't it?

“He had two years left on a contract that he recently signed, and he finished third in the best and fairest.

“He’s a contracted player who was a key member of that side and Adelaide got a second-rounder for Shane McAdam, he couldn’t lace up the boots of Alex Neal-Bullen.”

Edmund: “He's 28 years of age, soon to be 29 Alex Neal-Bullen and a good role player. I felt a second-round pick was right.

Cornes: “How much better of a footballer is Liam Baker than Alex Neal-Bullen?”

Edmund: “I think he's a fair bit better. Absolutely, I think Liam Baker's a first-round pick for sure.

Cornes: “I think Liam Baker's a better player and a couple of years younger, but I don't think he's a fair bit better than Neal-Bullen. I think it’s chalk and cheese here.

“He was contracted for two more years, and Baker is out of contract, you’ve got to factor that in as well.

“Well done to Adelaide, I'm staggered that Melbourne weren’t a little bit harder than this.”

Neal-Bullen joins the Crows on a four-year deal until the end of the 2028 season.