James has signed a new contract with the Roos, which will see him remain in the role for the 2019 campaign.

Waubra sits second on the Central Highlands Football League ladder after nine rounds under James, who took over the job from Grant Luscombe at the end of the 2017 campaign.

James said he was thankful that the club had given him the opportunity to coach.

“Obviously it was a pretty big risk for them to put me on at senior level untried and I’m just happy to be at this point repaying their faith,” he said.

Given the large turnover of players in the off-season and the bad knee injury to star onballer Lincoln Barnes, the 26-year-old admitted the Roos’ successful start to the year had come as a surprise.

Waubra has lost just one game in the early part of the campaign and looks well placed to claim a spot inside the top four by season’s end.

Roos president Simon Tol said the club had great confidence in James and talked about the possibility of him staying in the role for the long term.

James joined Waubra for the 2015 season and served as a senior assistant and under-18 coach before getting the top job.

Waubra will host this Saturday’s round 10 clash with Hepburn after it was agreed to shift the fixture from the Burras’ home ground. These discussions followed the CHFL under-12 lightning premiership, which left the surface in poor condition on Sunday.

It is a big game for both clubs, but particularly Hepburn which could slip two games adrift of the top eight with defeat by the Roos.

Other highlights of the round include the battle at Wallace between Springbank and Newlyn.