Neal-Bullen was born into a sporting family, where his grandma, Cheryl Neal, became the first female jockey in history to win a race in Melbourne against men, achieved in 1979.

[5] He achieved state selection for South Australia in the 2014 AFL Under 18 Championships and played in the winning grand final against Vic Metro, whilst also being named in the best players for the match.

[5] In addition, his athletic background placed him in the elite bracket of endurance runners[7] and raised his prospects to being drafted inside the top twenty-five.

[20] Despite failing to maintain a spot in the senior side, he had strong form in the VFL, which saw him play in seventeen matches, and he was named in the best players twelve times.

[28] In August of 2024, despite being contracted at Melbourne until the end of 2026,[29] Neal-Bullen confirmed his request to be traded to his home state of South Australia for family reasons.

[30] After the conclusion of Melbourne's failed 2024 season, he would nominate Adelaide as his preferred destination, the request made official by the Crows a few weeks later.