Nicknamed "Cowboy" after Kevin Neale, he played various junior sports in Naracoorte, including basketball, soccer, cricket and football. Neale started playing football for Kybybolite in 2004 as a 10-year-old. He kicked 8 goals for the year as his team won the under-14 KNTFL premiership alongside future AFL player Jack Trengove.[5] Neale also won another under-14 premiership the next season, once again alongside Trengove but also with future AFL teammate Alex Forster.[6] Neale kicked 14 goals for the season but was not selected for the Grand Final.[7] Neale continued playing for Kybybolite and then received a scholarship to attend St Peter's College, Adelaide.[8] He won the Opie Medal in his final year at St Peter's.
He played his junior football for the Kybybolite Football Club and then the Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), including seven games in the league side, before returning to the under-18 team for the grand final. Despite Glenelg losing to Port Adelaide, he gathered 40 possessions and was awarded the Alan Stewart Medal as the best player in the game.[8] He represented South Australia at the 2011 AFL Under-18 Championships.[9]
Neale credits coach Ross Lyon's direction in his first year, with Lyon claiming Neale did not have long-term AFL potential unless he reduced his weight and improved his work rate, motivating Neale to heed Lyon’s advice.[15][16]
After playing two games for Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), Neale made his debut in round 4 of the 2012 AFL season against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium[11][17] as the substitute. He was activated during the third quarter, replacing Nick Suban.[18] After his debut, Neale played through until round 14. He played one further game in round 20.[19] Across the season, he averaged 11.3 disposals, 1.6 marks and 2.1 tackles per game.[19]
In 2013 he improved, averaging 19.8 disposals, 3.3 marks and 1.7 tackles per game.[19] Neale was the substitute in the 2013 AFL Grand Final when Fremantle lost to Hawthorn by 15 points.
At the conclusion of the 2018 season, after winning a second Doig Medal,[21] Neale requested a trade to Brisbane. He was traded on 17 October.[22]
Neale did not cite any reasons for leaving Fremantle; however, Lyon claims that he was motivated by money and that Fremantle was not able to match a lucrative offer made by Brisbane.[23]
Brisbane Lions (2019–)
Neale thrived at his new club in 2019, winning All-Australian team selection for the first time,[24] winning his first Merrett–Murray Medal and finishing equal-third in the Brownlow Medal with 26 votes.[25]
Neale had an excellent start to the 2020 season, with him being deemed the best player in the league by the ABC's Dean Bilton prior to round 6.[26] Neale won the 2020 Brownlow Medal after polling 31 votes during the shortened regular season, including being best-on-ground in ten matches.[27] This result put Neale in front of 2nd-placed Travis Boak by 10 votes, who had the equal-highest win in Brownlow Medal history since the introduction of the 3–2–1 voting system until Patrick Cripps.[28] Neale's 2020 season success was also compounded by All-Australian selection, a Merrett–Murray Medal and the Leigh Matthews Trophy, amongst various other awards.
Neale's 2022 season was yet another season of success, taking home a third All-Australian blazer and winning a third Merrett–Murray Medal, as well as placing second in the Brownlow Medal, missing out on first place by a single vote.
On 1 March 2023, Neale was named co-captain of the Lions alongside Harris Andrews.[1] Later in the year, Neale clinched his second Brownlow Medal after again polling 31 votes.
^The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
