Adelaide forward Alex Neal-Bullen has a little chuckle when he thinks back to his miraculous goal from the pocket against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Neal-Bullen received a handball from fellow forward Ben Keays, and kicked truly from close to the boundary line in the second quarter.

The pocket had become known as ‘Izak Rankine’s’, after the livewire kicked many freakish goals from that angle during his two-and-a-half seasons with the Crows.

Kicking a goal from that area of the ground isn’t a feat Neal-Bullen thought he’d ever achieve, and enjoyed a cheeky exchange with Rankine after the ball sailed through. 

“Izzy (Rankine) has told me since I walked through the doors that it’s his pocket and I never thought I’d kick a goal from his pocket,” Neal-Bullen said.

“He just let me know that it’s still his pocket, but appreciated my efforts in his pocket.

“For me, I just feel so grateful to be at this footy Club at this point in time.

“The journey they’ve been on, especially the past few years, to come into this mature group that values consistency, and values small roles, has been great.”

Neal-Bullen was a standout in the Crows’ 61-point win against the Suns, recording a career-high 31 disposals, 12 score involvements, 539 metres gained and three goals.

The clinical victory was built on a strong first-half, in which Adelaide held Gold Coast goalless while piling on nine of their own.

Neal-Bullen, who is part of the Crows’ leadership group, credited his teammates’ hard work and trust for his strong performance.

“First of all, I’m a beneficiary of how the boys performed, I felt like we started the game really strong in the contest and understood what Gold Coast was able to do in that part of the game,” Neal-Bullen said.

“I have played the high half-forward role probably for the past eight years, during my time at Melbourne and now here, and It’s not about statistics in that role, it’s about understanding that you’ve got to bring a level of pressure each week, but also to be a link player.

“If you can create opportunities for your teammates, whether that’s by hand or by foot, that allows you to take your game to another level.

“To take your game to a new level, always bring your hunt and your pressure, as we say, but then to be able to use the ball with a bit more calmness and take your opportunities in front of goal if you get them.”

The Crows’ clash against the Suns had an added layer of spice, with plenty being said externally about the rivalry between Adelaide key forward Riley Thilthorpe and Gold Coast defender Mac Andrew.

Thilthorpe and Andrew were involved in a heated exchange with seconds remaining when the two sides clashed in Round Four, with the Suns taking a one-point win.

Neal-Bullen said the theatre was good for the game and was pleased the Crows were able to come away with the win this time around.

“That’s the beauty of our sport, there’s little rivalries in each game, and for us to walk away with a great team performance but also the way we started the game,” Neal-Bullen said.

“You want to let your footy do the talking and linking that back to the maturity of this group.

“There’s an understanding of what’s required, it’s not so much the push and shove, but direct your focus to what’s important and that’s playing your role and sticking to that to the highest of intensities.”

Adelaide now turns its focus to Showdown 58, with a clash against crosstown rivals Port Adelaide coming up at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

“I quickly learnt earlier this year that it’s (Showdowns) an intensity like no other, no matter where each team is on the ladder,” Neal-Bullen said.

“This has been something I’ve heard a lot over the years, both teams get to the start line with high intensity. We are looking forward to it, another great challenge.

“We understand what their strengths are and they’ll understand what ours are, but that’s our responsibility to play to ours and when that challenge presents itself, you’ll hopefully see a mature group.”

Showdown 58 is at Adelaide Oval on Saturday at 7.40pm.

Last remaining tickets available here.