Roberts fires up a cold Walla winter

The chilly lows of the thermometer in southern NSW seemed a world away from the smothering heat and humidity he was used to at the Top End — not that Roberts, 26, hadn’t experienced the cold before.

He played for Euroa in the Goulburn Valley Football League four years ago and played two games for Richmond in 2010 after the AFL club picked him in the third round of that year’s rookie draft.

But with things not working out at Richmond, Roberts headed north last season to play with Northern Territory club Southern Districts before making his way to the Hume League this year.

After 12 rounds, Roberts said he had once again adapted to the cold.

“I’m used to it now,” he said.

“The first time I got here I wanted to get on the plane and go back but I’m enjoying here now.

“The weekend (against Culcairn) was one of the coldest games I’ve played in.”

The fact Roberts refuses to wear long sleeves — “Never, I’ll stick to the singlet” — probably didn’t help him in his quietest game of the season at the weekend.

He failed to kick a goal for the first time this year in Walla’s 2.4 16 to 7.5 47 loss to Culcairn.

It wasn’t a reflection of his year to date though with Roberts kicking multiple goals in every previous game, including a haul of six goals, two hauls of five and several three-goal games.

Known in some parts of Australia as the Barunga Bullet due to his lightning pace off the mark, Roberts (a Barunga local) made his way to Walla because of his uncle and Hoppers assistant coach Martin White senior.

“He asked me to come and play and I heard (former Richmond teammate) Troy Taylor and a few other boys were here so I came,” Roberts said.

After 12 rounds Roberts has helped last year’s wooden spoon winners to seventh on the ladder with five wins and a draw, though the departure of several players, including Taylor and Brody Harris, has hurt the team in recent weeks.

“Troy made it easier for me playing up forward although he has left a big hole since he left,” Roberts said.

One man who has enjoyed watching Roberts’ silky skills in action is Walla coach Merv Neagle.

The former Essendon wingman said Roberts had been a fantastic addition to the club on and off the field.

“He’s been terrific for us all year and the blokes love him,” Neagle said.

“He’s been a little bit starved of the ball playing up forward with the midfield not delivering the ball the way they should.

“On the weekend though, in atrocious conditions, he was the only bloke who kept his feet and took the ball with one touch ... he’s just a class act.”

Neagle said he had been tempted to play Roberts more in the midfield but had faced the dilemma of having no one to kick the team’s goals.

“We’ve been playing him up forward and it’s a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul if you move him into the middle because he doesn’t have anyone to kick it to,” Neagle said.

With eight rounds remaining Walla faces an uphill battle to make finals with a tough run home.

But if things don’t work out this year Roberts isn’t going to be too concerned.

He said he was intending to play footy in the Northern Territory over the summer and return to Walla next season with up to five recruits.

“I’ll come back with about four or five boys, good footy players too,” Roberts said.