Billy Frampton has responded to an AFL omission by racking up huge numbers in Adelaide’s Round 4 SANFL win over Central District at X Convenience Oval on Saturday, booting seven goals and taking 12 marks (nine contested).  

The Crows defeated the Bulldogs by 23 points, 16.7 (103) to 12.8 (80), on a beautiful day for football in Elizabeth.

Frampton set the tone early by kicking three first-quarter goals and taking five contested marks before the first break.

He finished with 7.3 and also accumulated 19 touches.

Crows SANFL coach Michael Godden said it was the type of response he loved to see from a tall forward.

“Frampton was outstanding,” he said.

“It is always tough to come back (to SANFL level) but he is a much-improved player and today he showed his dominance.

“His seven goals was a product of his hard work and every time it went forward I was so confident with him in the air.”

Frampton said he enjoyed his day in Elizabeth, as the Crows registered their second win of the season.

“It was great to get back out there,” he said.

“To get dropped back was a bit disappointing but it was good to find some form and enjoy doing it.”

Other key performers in the win were David Mackay with 24 disposals and defenders Josh Worrell (21 disposals, seven marks) and Fischer McAsey (17 disposals and nine marks).

Playing in a half back role, usual midfielder Chayce Jones swept up a loose ball on the wing in the first 30 seconds of the match and drove it inside 50m, finding the chest of Frampton.

Frampton goaled from the paint of 50m, and three minutes later had his second on the board when Kieran Strachan (38 hitouts, 12 disposals) found him in a one-on-one contest at the top of the goal square.

After a difficult match last week Jones responded with three disposals in the first four minutes, ending the game with 13 touches and a goal.

Frampton took another strong contested mark on the lead 80m from goal which set up the Crows third goal (Jake Cook) in the opening eight minutes.

The tall forward was on fire in the opening stages with five disposals and five contested marks and booted his third goal from outside 50m at the 12-minute mark.

The Crows were running rampant in the first term and when Tariek Newchurch converted a goal at the 13-minute mark the scoreboard read 5.0 (30) to 1.1 (7).

The under-pressure Bulldogs responded with back-to-back goals, including a long-range finish from Jackson Kelly and a classy Aiden Grace set shot from the scoreboard pocket to reduce the margin back to 10 points at the 21-minute mark.

Grace had a day out, finishing with five goals from 17 disposals.

Late in the term Adelaide’s Matthew Merrett received a free kick 20m out directly in front and went back to kick his side’s sixth goal.

The Crows were controlling the play and had 24 marks to 18 to led at quarter time by 15 points.

Christopher Olsson bounced through the first goal of the second quarter for the Bulldogs, but Frampton responded by converting his fourth goal, resulting from a free kick 40m out.  

Frampton’s fifth came soon after and the football kept coming his way, with the resulting centre clearance finding his hands again, but he was outnumbered in a double-team spoil.

Adelaide had eight goals on the board without a blemish and led by 21 points at the 17-minute mark.

In his SANFL debut, multiple premiership player with Hills club Hahndorf Ben Salt knocked through his first goal in Crows colours from the top of the goal square.

Timothy Baccanello also made his debut for the SANFL crows, finishing with eight disposals.

Frampton had two more wayward shots on goal to end the quarter, while Jay Boyle got in on the act with a clever snap as he was thrown to the ground to help the Crows to a 26-point lead at half time, 10.2 (62) to 5.6 (36).

Frampton had 5.2, 11 disposals and seven marks (six contested) to half time, while Lachlan Mathews had 12 disposals, Worrell (11 disposals) and McAsey (11) were amongst the major ball winners.

The Bulldogs returned to the field after half time with an attitude to make the game a scrap and played the third quarter on their own terms, booting four goals to one.

Grace kicked his third goal early in the third term to reduce the margin to 20 points.

Frampton was drawing three defenders to him at times but still managed to take a pack mark on the behind line, but hammered the set shot into the post to take his tally to 5.3.

Centrals kept challenging and the ball was living in its forward half.

The Bulldogs goals flowed through Tom Graham, Harry Grant and another to Grace to make it a three-point ball game.

As he did all afternoon Frampton stepped up with a strong mark on the lead to kick a vital steadying goal for the Crows, making it a 11.3 (69) to 9.6 (60) three quarter time lead.

With his eight contested mark of the match Frampton booted his seventh goal within the opening minute of the final term.

Refusing to lay down Centrals found responding goals through Darcy Pisani and Grace (fifth) to again bring the margin to within a goal.

Grace had a chance to put the Bulldogs in front at the nine-minute mark, but missed, and the Crows made them pay through a Newchurch snap goal.

Adelaide led by 11 points with 13 minutes to go and the next goal seemed like it would shape the match.

Crows captain Matthew Wright stepped up and nailed a running goal to send his side 17 points up, before Jones and Wright (second) put a full stop on a good day for the Crows with late goals.

“I am proud of all the lads, we have an inexperienced group and Centrals came at us in the third quarter,” Godden said.

“We have talked a lot about spirit and they certainly showed it today.”

Adelaide travels to Unley Oval next Sunday to face Sturt.

ADELAIDE                     6.0     10.2     11.3     16.7 (103)
CENTRAL DISTRICT     3.3       5.6       9.6       12.8 (80)

GOALS: Frampton 7, Newchurch, Wright 2, Boyle, J. Cook, Jones, Merrett, Salt
BEST: Frampton, Wright, Strachan, Mackay, Worrell, McAsey