THE VERSATILITY that Collingwood recruiting manager Derek Hine saw in Sharrod Wellingham the year he was drafted continues to pay dividends, with the premiership player thriving in a forward line role this season.

Wellingham bounded onto recruiter radars when he was named in the WAFL under 18 colts team of the year in 2006, courtesy of a solid second half of the season.

He was selected by Collingwood in the NAB AFL Rookie Draft the following December, and made his AFL debut in round six, 2008.

Hine said Wellingham always had the scope to fulfil a number roles, as has been demonstrated in his 81 AFL games played as a winger, tagger, defender, pinch-hitter forward, and now, in a more regular spot in attack.

"There's no two ways about that," Hine told AFL.com.au.

"He's playing forward for us as the moment and he's demonstrated he can go through the middle of the ground and have really high numbers.

"He's got good straight line speed but his lateral movement is really, really good."

Hine said Wellingham showed a high degree of balance and movement as a young player, and often displayed AFL traits despite arriving at the game in his late teens. 

He has noticed an improvement in Wellingham's ability to take the ball in the air this year, which is reflected in the fact he's equal third (with Alex Fasolo) at the club for contested marks, behind Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes.

Wellingham himself loves his move into attack.

While he's keen to kick a few more goals - having slotted eight from nine games - he knows he's in the role, along with players like Fasolo and Ben Sinclair, to mainly pressure opposition defenders.

"I don't know when Bucks [coach Nathan Buckley] got it in his head that I was a forward but just before I played in round three, he said you might have to play forward and I've just stayed there," Wellingham said.

"I think with the way they game is at the moment with forward presses and pressure needing to be put on in the forward line, Bucks has just thought about my pace around the ball and around the stoppages.

"I would have liked to have got a few more goals but I've been able to get my hands on the ball as a forward, which is always good.

"I think it was just being able to have a bit of speed in the forward line."

The 23-year-old often jokes with Buckley about whether he'll be able to squeeze back into the midfield given the improvement of Steele Sidebottom - who signed a two-year contract extension on Wednesday - and Dayne Beams.

But as far as Hine's concerned, that's where his future lies.

"I think if it hadn't been for the injuries we've had this year, he probably would be spending more time in there," Hine said.

"Without speaking to Nathan, I think that's probably where long-term they see him more, on that forward-midfield rotation like Beamsy and Sidebottom.

"He'll more than likely find his way in there in years to come, I would have thought, on a more permanent basis, because he's definitely got those traits."

To read more about Sharrod Wellingham and his different path into football, his love of music, fashion and coffee, and his past ambitions to become a professional skateboarder, check out his cover story in the round 13 AFL Record.

Jennifer Witham is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.