Australian Football

James Frawley played 139 games for Melbourne between 2007 and 2014 before transferring to Hawthorn as an unrestricted free agent.

Recruited from the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup, Frawley was taken by the Melbourne Demons with their first round pick (12th overall) in the 2006 AFL Draft. He is the nephew of former St Kilda captain, Danny Frawley.

He debuted for the Demons in Round 9, 2007 and has played all of his games in defence. He played nine senior games in first year of AFL football.

Not known for his kicking efficiency, Frawley has a tough and uncompromising defensive style of play.

The 2010 season was a breakout year for Frawley who, at still only 21 years of age, became one of the premier defenders in the league. His season was capped off by being named in the back pocket for the 2010 All-Australian squad and finishing second to Brad Green in Melbourne's Best and Fairest.

Coming off his breakthrough season in 2010, Frawley's 2011 season started with a setback as he was sidelined for up to three months after tearing his pectoral muscle in January.

In 2014, under the new coaching structure of Paul Roos, Frawley began to play more of a forward role. His defensive efforts inside Melbourne's forward 50 was a contributing factor towards their obvious improvement.

On 6 October 2014, Frawley exercised his rights as a free agent and joined Hawthorn.