THE Frawley name is returning to Moorabbin. 

AFL.com.au can reveal St Kilda has secured Hawthorn premiership defender James Frawley, the nephew of Saints great Danny, as a delisted free agent for next year.

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The career backflip comes just six weeks after Frawley retired from the Hawks. 

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While he announced his departure from the Hawks in October, Frawley was classified as 'delisted' in the AFL list lodgement on Wednesday, allowing his passage as a DFA. 

Paperwork will be lodged on Thursday afternoon. 

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Frawley, who turned 32 in September, played 14 games for the Hawks this season to take his career tally to 100 at Waverley Park after 139 matches at Melbourne from 2007-2014. 

He won a premiership in his first season at the Hawks in 2015 alongside now-Saints staffer Jarryd Roughead, with St Kilda coach Brett Ratten also an assistant at the time. 

Jarryd Roughead and James Frawley will be reunited at St Kilda. Picture: AFL Photos

That pair, along with former Hawks head of coaching services turned Saints football boss David Rath, were key influences in his move to the Saints. 

As reported earlier this month, the Saints had been targeting Frawley for several weeks to provide readymade defensive depth in their 2021 premiership tilt. 

After the retirement of Nathan Brown and delisting of Logan Austin, the Saints were on the lookout for support for Dougal Howard, Jake Carlisle, Callum Wilkie and Dylan Roberton. 

Darragh Joyce and Oscar Clavarino will continue as rookies next season.

Frawley's signature comes after the Saints landed Brad Crouch, Jack Higgins and Shaun McKernan in the player exchange period earlier this month.   

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Danny played 240 matches for the Saints, was captain for nine years and is a member of the club's Hall of Fame. 

The Saints last week announced the new Danny Frawley Centre will begin construction at the club's RSEA Park in coming weeks to continue the work he was doing in the Health & Wellbeing space before his death last year.