BILLY Frampton was playing in front of a few thousand people in the SANFL early last year when Collingwood first made its approach. Out-of-contract and living on the fringe at West Lakes, the West Australian suddenly felt wanted by a club with a clear plan for him as a key defender. 

After adding just six senior appearances for Adelaide in 2022 for a total of 24 across eight seasons at both South Australian clubs, Frampton was running out of chances to prove he could play at the highest level and knew he had a new home at the Magpies, well before a couple of other Melbourne-based clubs starting sniffing ahead of the trade period.

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Since arriving at the AIA Centre in exchange for a future third-round pick in October, the 26-year-old has quickly shown that he can replicate how he was playing against the likes of Sturt, Norwood and Woodville-West Torrens in Craig McRae’s system.

Frampton impressed over the pre-season to put his name in contention for round one, but the match committee opted to go with Nathan Murphy instead, alongside new skipper Darcy Moore and veteran Jeremy Howe. 

But when Howe shattered his forearm on the first Friday night of the season, Frampton stepped up and has been handed two colossal tasks – Charlie Dixon and Tom Lynch – in successive weeks. 

With Howe and now Darcy Cameron out for the first half of the season, the former ruckman-turned-key-forward-turned-key-defender looks like a shrewd piece of business by Collingwood GM Graham Wright and recruiting boss Derek Hine. 

"They sort of started speaking to my manager early in the year and I hadn’t had a contract offer from Adelaide at all. Then I was in the twos and wasn't getting a look in even though I was playing some good footy," Frampton told AFL.com.au.

"They came and offered me a contract pretty early in the year. Straight away we saw the way the club was building with how the club was performing last year. I had a good friend in Darcy Cameron at the club and spoke to him. He spoke glowingly about the club and 'Fly' [Craig McRae] and how they run things. 

"It was a pretty easy decision, to be honest, especially with how my year panned out at the Crows. I was very keen to come as soon as I heard about their interest."

Collingwood struck gold over four years ago when they signed Jordan Roughead from the Western Bulldogs in exchange for just pick No. 75. They had a defined role in mind for the 2016 premiership player who played here, there and everywhere at the Whitten Oval, extracting 62 games out of the tall defender in his first three years, before Roughead was hit by injuries last year and forced to retire at just 31. 

The Magpies sold Frampton on the same role. It was the role the South Fremantle product was playing for Adelaide’s reserves last year instead of for Matthew Nicks, one that allows Moore to play his natural role as an intercepting, game-breaking defender, leaving Frampton to match-up on the monsters. 

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"All we spoke about was being a key back. They were a little bit undersized at times last year with Murph and Howey playing big. They sold me on the role," Frampton said after the 14-point win against Richmond. 

"It was there for me to take if I did the right things. That’s what I've tried to do. it has worked out alright at the moment. I've just got to keep going."

Frampton was praised internally for responding from a slow start against Port Adelaide key forward Charlie Dixon to hold him to three goals and no contested marks in round two. 

Then the 201cm, 100kg defender held All-Australian spearhead Tom Lynch to just one goal and three marks in in a performance that drew four coaches’ votes – the equal second-most on the ground – last Friday night, one that displayed his intercept ability and physicality. 

"It gives me a lot of confidence that I can (perform that way). I know I can, to be honest, but to have that sort of performance to vindicate it is pretty big for me," he said.

"I thought … against Charlie, I'm not a massive man but I didn’t concede any contested marks. They are some ticks that I’m building. 

"I want to be really hard to play against and physical. It is what I do at training against Dan McStay and Brody Mihocek all the time. I know I can mix it, but it is good to have a performance like that to prove it."

Collingwood signed four players last October. Tom Mitchell was the biggest name with the glitziest resume. But aside from the Brownlow Medallist, boom free agent Dan McStay also generated the attention. Those two loomed as best 22 additions from the outset, but then Bobby Hill emerged as another after strong track form.

Frampton was the lowest profile recruit, viewed as a low-risk depth recruit by most across the industry, but by the time the practice matches arrived at the end of February, he had built a case to be taken seriously for round one and beyond.

"I just attacked every session for what it is, every rep for what it is, trying to bring my assets to the table, my weapons, which is my aerial power and strength and just show that to everyone," he said. 

"I don’t think a lot of people know a lot about me, so I’m just trying to show every session, every one v one contest I have to show what I can do. 

"I just missed out round one, but Fly was really good and told me it was line ball, there wasn’t much more I could have done. I had to stay ready and unfortunately when Howey went down an opportunity presented."

McRae has swiftly left a mark on Frampton, finding a way to instantly coax the best out of a player who has never been a regular senior player to this date of his career, someone who has been accustomed to living on the fringe for a long time. 

"Fly has been unbelievable," he said. "I've never really had a coach like him throughout my whole career, even juniors or anything like that. He is so open and honest. He instils you with so much confidence which is all I need as a player. He is so big on that. He drives how much he wants me to succeed. It has been a nice breath of fresh air, which I’m loving."

With Cameron ruled out for up to ten weeks after suffering a medical collateral ligament injury against the Tigers, Mason Cox missing with a hematoma, Aiden Begg dealing with a back injury and Oscar Steene – the only fit ruckman on the list – not ready for AFL exposure just yet, Frampton is open to returning to the role he started his career at with Port Adelaide if needed. 

"I did a lot of ruck in my first five years at Port. If I'm needed to, I would happily go in there. I'm happy to do whatever Fly or the coaches need," he said.

Suddenly Collingwood's lowest profile recruit from last year has a pivotal role to play this year.