Collingwood would've come away from Friday's emphatic win over Geelong with mixed emotions after defender Jeremy Howe was left hospitalised by a nasty incident in the second half of the win.
Howe, who has suffered a suspected fracture in his left forearm as a result of a marking content mishap, is expected to spend an extended period on the sidelines - a blow that soured a memorable win for Craig McRae's men.
Collingwood were able to handle Geelong's engine room with ease from the midway point of the third quarter, with new recruit Tom Mitchell among those giving outlet options Jordan De Goey and Josh Daicos great access to move the ball forward.
Daicos, who paired up nicely with younger brother Nick to combine for 62 possessions on the night, was a vital conduit in McRae's chain between midfield and attack, while De Goey managed to have a direct impact on the scoreboard in registering three goals from his 25 possessions.
De Goey's haul was only matched by new teammate Bobby Hill, who booted a trio of majors to level his own career-high goal effort on Friday night.
Hill and Mitchell managed to effortlessly have an impact on the result in their maiden matches as Magpies, with the latter amassing a game-high 10 clearances - double the next-best tally of five from De Goey and Josh Daicos.
The addition of Hill also allowed Beau McCreery to spend time further up the field, with the hard-hitting forward also recording a career-high for possessions with 20 - six more than his previous best.
Free agency recruit Dan McStay was the other new Collingwood name to make his club debut against the Cats, with the former Lion one of McRae's 10 goalkickers on the night.
While McStay didn't have the impact Magpies fans might've hoped for in his first outing at his new club, the key forward was able to be a link in the scoring chain on four occasions from his six disposals.
A feeling like no other.
Gatorade shower after your first win for Collingwood! pic.twitter.com/0U9Mvf4oXt
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) March 17, 2023
But attention will now turn to Collingwood's only trade and free agency recruit that didn't get a run in front of the 86,595 fans at the MCG, Billy Frampton.
Brought to Olympic Park as a defensive stopper and reinforcement for fellow two-metre-tall backman Darcy Moore, Frampton now finds himself well in the mix to make his Magpies debut against the team that handed him his first game of AFL football, Port Adelaide.
With a void opening in defence due to the loss of Howe, Frampton looms as the next man up for McRae's rearguard heading into Round 2.
With uncapped backman Charlie Dean residing on Collingwood's long-term injury list, Frampton may only find competition from Will Kelly to replace Howe for the match at the MCG.
The Power are home to a trio of fierce forward targets, with veteran Charlie Dixon finding ascending assistance from developing duo Todd Marshall and Mitch Georgiades.
The Magpies were able to handle Geelong's tall attacking quarter of Jeremy Cameron, Tom Hawkins, Gary Rohan and Ollie Henry in their season opener and face a similar test to continue their unbeaten start when they clash with the Power.
Frampton, along with Kelly, will be out to prove his prowess as the best selection option to replace Howe on Saturday when the Magpies' reserves tussle with Geelong for a practice match.
The 26-year-old brings with him just 24 games of AFL experience from five seasons in South Australia, beginning his career with Port Adelaide before making the switch across town to the Crows at the end of 2019.
Having started his career as a key forward, Frampton has made the switch to defence in the past 12 months and impressed in a pair of outings against the Tigers and Bulldogs last year before falling back out of favour under Matthew Nicks.
Collingwood host the Power next Saturday and could start their season with two wins from as many matches.
Magpies playing at the MCG next Saturday, not in SA