Drawing from his experience in a successful 2024 season, Shannon Neale is looking to continue to build his skillset and confidence as heads into a new year. 

Playing a career high 15 AFL games last season, Neale seized his opportunity with both hands kicking 23 goals, while booting at least one major in each of his first 14 matches for the year. 

The 22 year old's aerial ability was also on full display, taking a season high three contested marks in his first Finals appearance against Port Adelaide. 

Neale said 2024 was an important year for him, learning to have confidence in his ability while squaring off with some of the competition's best defenders. 

"I definitely take the experience, going into my first finals series was great exposure," Neale told Cats Media. 

"Obviously being a very successful club, I see us getting back there next year and beyond that as well. It was great experience, I took some key learnings away of what I need to work on and what I need to go back in with.

"I think the main part was confidence, I just need to believe in myself and that I can do it. Obviously still working on things as well, I know I have a long way to go with that.

"It was great to get some back to back games and some flow in the AFL, and I will look to carry that into next year."

Entering his fifth year with the Cats, Neale is looking to build on his current total of 20 AFL games with an exciting 2025 season ahead. 

02:43

First Day Back | Sounds of Training

With everyone now back, our first training session is in the books as we start our 2025 campaign

Standing at 203cm tall, Neale paints an imposing figure and has been hard at work building his frame to compete with the competition's top defenders. 

Working alongside some of Geelong's other tall players, Neale said he is utilising his resources to continue his development into a new campaign. 

"I am at a stage where I have physically developed now, I am at where I need to be," Neale said. 

"So it is then believing in my own strength and my body, also going to work with my aerially ability and my one on one contests. Being able to take it to the best defenders that I am hopefully going to be playing on in the next few years, and beyond that as well.

"I have been trying to work hard in the gym and tapping into the resources I have here, learning from Stew (Tom Stewart), Blitz (Mark Blicavs), Jez (Jeremy Cameron), Rhys Stanley and all the bigger guys that I have been working with.

"Over the next month and a bit, definitely go hard in the cage and get some one on one stuff going."