The Collingwood celebrations were in full swing last Friday when Jamie Elliott glided by to provide a classy assist to a teammate, as the smart forward so often does amid crowded company.

As chief executive Craig Kelly worked the room at Marvel Stadium, greeting parents and staff members with a broad smile after the Magpies 33-point win over the Giants, debut sensation Oscar Steene was a star attraction.

Watch every match of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

In the midst of an interview with Fox Footy, the young ruckman was being serenaded by a group of rowdy mates who had made their way from South Australia to watch his debut.

Footy clubs will tell you not much beats a Friday night win in the home-and-away season. No matter the weather, the weekend always appears brighter. And the Pies performed well.

Billy Frampton, who played an important role in the defensive masterclass against the Giants that has Collingwood sitting inside the eight ahead of tonight’s big clash with Brisbane, was composed as he discussed the Magpies’ triumph.

It was as the 29-year-old was dissecting the reasons behind their win that Elliott, who kicked one goal in the Magpies second win this year, emerged from a trainers room and patted Frampton on the stomach, branding him “our brick wall”.

The two Pies do not come from the same pod, with contrasts in size, hair colour, positioning and, for a long period of time, their confidence and capacity to influence matches on the field.

Collingwood heap more misery on Giants | 04:48

READ MORE

‘ABSOLUTELY BROKEN’: Former Magpies denied compensation in cruel twist

‘BIGGEST LOSERS IN DRAFT CHANGES’: The likely draft changes coming … with three clubs most affected.

A no-frills defender whose “game is not that flashy”, Frampton bore his share of critics in stints at Port Adelaide and Adelaide before making his way to Collingwood on the cheap back in 2023.

He does not provide the dash and dare of Darcy Moore. Nor is Frampton a high-flyer like Jeremy Howe. But Billy has matured into a reliable cog in the AFL’s best backline.

He has been the target of derision online, no more so than when he gathered two possessions in the thrilling 2023 grand final that saw Collingwood pip the Lions.

What was overlooked is the role he played as a defensive forward stifling Brisbane captain Harris Andrews, who was restricted to just one intercept mark in the first three quarters.

In a profile in The Age ahead of last year’s preliminary final, he touched on some of the criticism and how long it had taken him to learn how to control his own doubts on field.

WATCH

‘THE BEST DEFENSIVE SYSTEM’: What makes the Collingwood backline tick

Billy Frampton is renowned for putting his body on the line in the Magpies backline, which has drawn the appreciation of his teammates. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

It is why the small gesture from Elliott, a matchwinning star for the Magpies, mattered for a defender who took seven marks.

“It feels great, to be honest,” he told foxsports.com.au when asked about Elliott’s praise.

“That’s all I try to be, a real defensive post for us. And my game’s not flashy. I don’t do anything too flashy out there. I just want to beat my man and compete in the air all the time and bring my best.

“When I do that, I can really shut down players and set us up from deep. And, yeah, my teammates really appreciate that from me and they obviously get around me for it too. That’s a good reward for me.”

Light duties for Daicos ahead of Lions | 01:20

DEFENDING FOR THEIR LIVES

Collingwood prides itself on its defensive strength and, according to Fox Footy expert analyst Leigh Montagna, it is the key to the Magpies hopes of premiership glory in 2026.

As Frampton noted last Friday, the Magpies played to their strengths in defence while also looking far more potent in attack in the most complete of their three matches this season.

Collingwood has not kicked more than 100 points in a match since July 4 last season and are averaging 81.3 points for in matches so far against St Kilda, Adelaide and the Giants this season.

But their defensive capabilities are strong. The inaccuracy of rivals so far this year has been a factor, with the Magpies forcing their opposition wide and into difficult scoring positions.

Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall noted last Friday the Magpies were “defending for their lives” against a barrage of forward 50 metre entries from the Giants, but the defence held strong when conceding just 54 points.

“I think that is our strong suit. We are keeping teams to low scores and then our scoring is coming along naturally too,” Frampton said.

“But we are defending really well as a team. It is our one wood. If we have a few inside defensive 50s, so be it. We will deal with it.”

Magpie Billy Frampton soaring high to spoil a forward foray from the Giants last Friday. (Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Montagna doubts the Collingwood attack led by Elliott, who kicked 60 goals last season, has the potency to blow opposition teams away. But he believes they can contend based on their defence.

“I think if the Pies want to give themselves a chance to try to win one more flag, they’re going to have to defend their way into contention,” he said of Fox Footy’s The First Crack.

“And what I mean by that is we’ve seen now, not just this season, but going back to the second half of last year, that they don’t have the firepower offensively in their forward half, or the artillery to kick big scores like we’re seeing in the modern game.

“But, I think, luckily for them they have the best defensive system in the competition. They did last season where they were number one for points against and number two for conceding scores inside their defensive 50. And they’ve started that way again.”

McRae gives murky update on Moore | 10:13

A MULTI-LAYERED STRENGTH

The Magpies have a layered system of defence, pulling the levers with their movement rather than necessarily performing one-on-one roles.

“We don’t really play man on man. We sort of play as a back six, working our layers, setting up how we want to set up, regardless of what they do,” Frampton said.

“So if (Jesse) Hogan holds really deep, or if (Jake) Stringer is up high, it doesn’t matter. We play in our layers and then if we get pressure on the ball … it sort of forces them to either beat us really long out the back or to go wide. And we are really good at making those plays, getting their fingertip plays … so it’s just about getting ourselves into good positions to defend and making them play to us, so we can sort of dictate.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 27: Magpie officials look concerned as Darcy Moore makes his way to the Collingwood rooms last Friday after feeling pain in a hamstring that will force him to miss the Easter Thursday clash against the Lions. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Montagna, a former St Kilda star, used several pieces of footage to demonstrate Collingwood’s determination to protect the corridor at all costs, luring rivals into using wings, and the way those layers work.

This, he said, allows them to set up a rolling system that ensures the defensive six, which will be without the injured Moore against Brisbane, have support around contests.

It also means teams are kicking for goal from wider, hence their increased inaccuracy. If they opt to gamble by going through the middle, the Pies are well placed to intercept the footy and drive it forward to their own attack.

“They say go wide, because then we bring our system into play, where we come forward and we roll around and we can outnumber (our opponents) and we can support and just continually work for them,” Montagna said.

“Collingwood almost use as much footy smarts as footy athleticism to get what they want. It’s really impressive to watch and it is going to take them a long way.”

‘The dodgiest fitness test I’ve seen’ | 01:09

WHY THE MAGPIES LOVE THEIR EASTER THURSDAY OUTING

The loss of Moore for a clash against the double-defending premiers Brisbane at the Gabba is clearly a blow.

Frampton, who marshalled the defence in the absence of the skipper and Jeremy Howe in Collingwood’s first two matches, said their presence “makes my life so much easier”.

But even without Moore, the Magpies will back their system against Brisbane, which overcame a halftime deficit in last year’s preliminary final at the MCG to win by 29 points.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 20: Collingwood star Jamie Elliott handballs away from Brisbane’s Dayne Zorko during last year’s Preliminary Final at the MCG clinched by the Lions. But the Magpies have won their past two outings at the Gabba, where they play tonight. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

The trip north for the Easter Thursday clash holds no fears for Collingwood, which have won their past two outings at the Gabba by 20 points in 2024 and 52 points last year.

But the reigning premiers indicated with a dazzling finale against St Kilda last weekend that they are finding their form after a slow start to their premiership defence.

“We love getting on the road up there. We obviously don’t do it too much, but we are really galvanised on those trips,” Frampton said.

“I think we’ve always had a good showing in Brissie, or since I’ve been here anyway, in those games. We love travelling as a team, and we get a good look at it together, so we are really excited by that opportunity. We know how good Brissie is, so we will bring our best and hopefully get a good result.”

Lions down Saints to claim 1st win | 02:03