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Demons' Neal-Bullen confirms trade request to Crows

Melbourne premiership player Alex Neal-Bullen has confirmed he wants to be traded to Adelaide.

Two weeks before the end of the AFL home-and-away season, the Demons announced the 28-year-old had told them of his desire to move home to South Australia for family reasons.

At the time, Neal-Bullen didn't nominate the Crows or Port Adelaide, but Adelaide were always favoured to land the experienced utility.

Neal-Bullen played 176 games for Melbourne after debuting for the club in 2015.

His move is expected to be one of the most straight-forward of the trade period, with Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin having said the club was "very open" to helping Neal-Bullen switch clubs.

"He said to me and the playing group, if he could pick the Melbourne footy club up and place it in Adelaide he would be playing in the red and blue still," Goodwin said in August of Neal-Bullen.

It comes after disgruntled Melbourne superstar Christian Petracca committed to staying at the Demons next year following weeks of speculation about his future at the club.

Petracca, 28, was keen to explore a move to Collingwood or Carlton this off-season, despite being contracted until the end of 2029.

But on Saturday, the injured star said via a statement from Melbourne he was "committed" to playing for the Demons.