James Frawley is a chance to return to the Hawks side as early as this week after suffering a pectoral injury in the Hawks’ Round 2 loss to Essendon.

Initially expected to spend up to six weeks on the sidelines, Frawley is optimistic his return is not as far away as first expected.

“Yeah [it’s] coming along really well, after the scans and stuff it probably wasn’t as bad as first thought,” he said.

“But (I’m) just getting the strength back up in the weights room now, so hopefully not too far away.”

Recruited by the Hawks as a free agent in the 2014 off-season, Frawley made his debut in Round 1 against Geelong, before being struck down by a low-grade tear of his right pectoral muscle.

“It was pretty frustrating really.

“I thought I was starting to settle in really well with the boys, and I think every game I played I was getting better and better.

“But that’s footy really… you just have to get over it and attack the rehab as best I can and try and get back out there as fast as I can.”

While the defender avoided surgery, it is a similar injury to the one Frawley sustained during his time at Melbourne.

“Yeah 2011 was a bit different, I actually did it in the weights room doing bench-press.

“But it was a lot worse last time around, I had the full rupture of the pec muscle.

“This time just it’s like a partial tear.”

Having maintained his fitness with plenty of running on the track, Frawley is just happy to be back joining the main group.

“It’s good to actually get out there with the boys again and have a bit of a run around and a bit of a laugh.”

Whilst Frawley is looking forward to getting back out on the football field, it has been improving a handicap of 17 that the defender has missed almost as much.

“Probably the hardest thing about it is we play a bit of golf with a few of the boys on a day off during the week so I haven’t been able to do that.

“Its just a good way to connect with the fellas.”

Despite only having been at the club for a number of months Frawley hasn’t been short of support – something he’s hoping to do for his teammates out on the field in the next few weeks.

“(Everyone) gets around you and has a chat with you and hopes you’re feeling well.

“Hopefully I can get back out there in the next couple of weeks and help them out and try and do the job with them.”