MELBOURNE has parted ways with Sam Frost, as the defender was officially traded to Hawthorn on Friday morning.

The 26-year-old was involved in a deal where the Demons also gave up picks No.42, 61 and their future fourth round selection, to receive pick No.50 and the Hawks’ future second rounder in return.

After the exchange was complete, General Manager of Football Operations Josh Mahoney said the trade was beneficial for both Frost and the club.

“Sam has played an important role for us in his five years at the club after joining from GWS and we thank him for his contribution,” Mahoney told Melbourne Media.

“We were not in the position to offer Sam a long-term contract, so we were comfortable with him exploring his options and we’re pleased he has found a position at Hawthorn.

“It’s always disappointing to see any player leave, but we think Sam will benefit from the move and we are confident in our backline.

“In recent years we’ve brought in the likes of Jake Lever and Steven May, and we have a lot of young depth in defence that will benefit from more responsibility.”

Frost was a strong contributor across his 70 games in the red and blue after playing the first 21 games of his career with the Giants.