HAWTHORN has been given discretionary approval to sign former Saint and VFLW player Nat Exon as a permanent top-up player for the remainder of the season.

The signing comes after a "mutual delisting" of Rebecca Clottey, who was drafted with pick No.50 last year. 

The small forward has not played this year, and was not named as an emergency across the first 10 rounds.

Exon, 32, previously played 53 AFLW games across her time at Carlton, Brisbane and St Kilda, and was delisted at the end of last season, having chosen not to retire to keep her AFLW hopes alive.

She has spent this year playing for VFLW side Box Hill, taking part in all 17 games and named in the best on eight occasions.

Given Exon is a permanent top-up, she has been selected in Saturday's side to play Essendon, ahead of Kristy Stratton, Hayley McLaughlin, Lavinia Cox and key forward Sophie Butterworth. Traditionally, top-ups can only be named when teams have fewer than 24 players available.

The Hawks currently have five players on their injury list: Emily Bates (SC joint), Lucy Wales (appendix), Jess Vukic (concussion), Bride Hipwell (broken leg) and Ainslie Kemp (ACL).