In his first year at the club he played most of his games with VFL affiliate Williamstown Seagulls. Late the following year, he played in an off-season exhibition match in London against Fremantle, in which he performed impressively. Collingwood retained Maxwell on their rookie list. When Tom Davidson was added to the long-term injury list, the club promoted Maxwell to the senior list. His debut came soon after in Round 9 against Adelaide and proved enough, playing 10 games in his first season as a hard-running defender. His size however was still tall and very lean. His promotion was then lifted as he was elevated onto the senior list for the next season.