MELBOURNE defender Sam Frost wants to play for a third AFL club, five seasons after joining the Demons from Greater Western Sydney.

AFL.com.au can confirm a report that Frost will request a trade from the Demons to Hawthorn.  

The 26-year-old told SEN radio a fortnight ago that he was still "waiting to hear" from Melbourne on a fresh deal and confirmed the Hawks' interest.

Sam Frost had a career-best season in 2019. Picture: AFL Photos

"The longer it goes on, waiting on Melbourne is probably the difficult part of it," Frost said at the time.

"These things are never easy and never straightforward, so it's an interesting time for everyone.

"There's no deadline or thing like that. I know they've got things they're working through. Time's sort of getting thin, so the sooner the better, I suppose." 

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Frost is a polarising player but enjoyed his best season in 2019, playing all 22 games in a Demons defence that was regularly without stars Steven May and Jake Lever. 

At 194cm, the uncontracted Frost's speed enables him to play on tall and small opponents.

However, it's his disposal and decision-making that can let him down, with coach Simon Goodwin referring to it as "Frost-ball" after the round 14 win over Fremantle at the MCG. 

Assuming a trade can be struck, Frost will bolster an ageing Hawks defence, including captain Ben Stratton, James Frawley and Grant Birchall, that is gradually incorporating younger options. 

James Sicily, Blake Hardwick and Jack Scrimshaw are poised to be long-term options down back, while Jarman Impey had an outstanding season this year before suffering an ACL rupture. 

Frost will also help free up Sicily to play a more attacking, intercepting role after he was used as a lockdown defender on taller forwards on occasion.

The Frost news comes on the same day Giants forward Jon Patton, who is contracted for next season but sat this year out recovering from a knee injury, requested a trade to Hawthorn. 

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The Hawks are also understood to have shown interest in Collingwood's unrestricted free agent Jamie Elliott and out-of-contract Tiger Dan Butler. 

The potential new arrivals could spell the end at Waverley Park for out-of-contract veterans such as Birchall, Paul Puopolo and Ryan Schoenmakers.