JAMES Frawley was drafted in November 2006, just three months after Melbourne’s most recent finals appearance.

Since then, it hasn’t been an easy ride for Frawley or his football club.

The Demons haven’t finished higher than 12^th on the ladder – that was in 2010 – and Frawley has played in just 30 wins from his 107 appearances.

Despite the hurdles his team and club have faced since 2007, Frawley has blossomed into one of the competition’s better key defenders.

Proof has come via All Australian selection in 2010, plus a runner-up and third placing in the 2010 and 2011 club best and fairests respectively. He has also represented Australia in the International Rules series in 2010-11. In 2012, he was also named a member of Melbourne’s leadership group.

Despite his personal development in a struggling team, Frawley’s focus is firmly on helping the Demons climb back up the ladder.

Having been through plenty already, Frawley said he hadn’t seen his team as tight knit as it is at the moment. In fact, Frawley said he was “proud” of the resilience shown by his teammates under adversity.

“After a great pre-season, all the boys were full of optimism and hope,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“It’s been a tough six weeks, with one win and five losses - but that’s the good thing about this group, the boys are staying pretty positive and upbeat and they’re looking to get better and improve as a group.

“We’ve been pleased with how the group has responded to week to week situations – as a group and as a club.”

Given Melbourne’s defenders have been under extreme pressure this year, with the amount of entries inside the opposition’s 50 this year, Frawley said he was pleased with the way the backline had stuck to its task.

“As a group, we’re really trying to help with the mids under pressure, which helps us in the backline, but the more we can play together and jell together, the better we’ll be in the future,” he said.

“Everyone is really having a go and if we’re getting beaten every now and then, so be it – that’s what happens, but it’s the way you respond and the way you go to the next contest.

“The group is starting to jell a bit together now too, as there are a few older guys like me, Colin [Garland] and Dunny (Lynden Dunn), when he’s down there, and a core of younger guys like Dean Terlich, who has been really good, and Straussy (James Strauss), who played his first game for the year last week. Dan Nicholson is another who has been around a bit, but he’s only played 23 games.”

Although Melbourne suffered its worst result for the season in round two, Frawley played arguably his best match of the season against Essendon, when he toiled manfully against the odds. Overall, he believes his form has been “pretty solid and pretty reasonable”.

“There are a just a few areas where I’ve let myself down in a couple of games,” he said.

“Speaking with the backline coaches, everyone is going pretty well, but there areas we can tighten up a little bit.

“Like the group, we’re doing most things right, but we’re not getting it 100 per cent right, so we’ve just got to keep helping each other. Hopefully, soon enough it’ll transfer into games.”

Now in his second year as a member of the leadership group, Frawley praised the work from director of sports performance, Neil Craig, in this area. 

“Neil Craig’s driving the group. He’s tough and he knows what he’s doing – he’s been around the traps for a while now with Adelaide and now he’s come here and really helped us out,” he said.

“Trenners (Jack Trengove), Grimesy (Jack Grimes) and Chunk (Nathan Jones) have really taken another step this year. With Byrnesy (Shannon Byrnes) and Dawesy (Chris Dawes) coming [to the club], they’ve really helped us and added another dimension, having come from Geelong and Collingwood [respectively].

“As a young leader, you do learn quickly – you have to – and you want to get better all the time. It’s been really good for us, although there were a few challenges early in the year. It’s been really good and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

With just six rounds gone in the season, Frawley said it was important the Demons maximised every opportunity for the rest of 2013.

“You’ve just got to go out there and try and win every game you can. It starts with this weekend against the Gold Coast. If we can put a four quarter effort together, hopefully it’ll translate into a win,” he said.

“You can’t take anything for granted and that’s where you’ve got to train really hard and improve your game every week and every moment you’re at the club. With sports science these days, there is only a limited time to work on your game, when you’re doing it at 100 per cent.

“All you can ask is that everyone gets in there and gets dirty.”

Frawley said Sunday’s clash against the Suns at the MCG was a great opportunity for the Demons, but one they couldn’t afford to take lightly.

“There was a fair bit of difference in experience between us and Carlton last week, so going into this week against the Gold Coast, our games experience will be pretty similar,” he said.

“It’s no excuses for last week, but the boys might be a little bit more confident this week.

“We can’t be cocky, but we’ve got to go in there and give our all, and hopefully we’ll get the four points.”