[2] Roberts survived a life-threatening injury in his debut season to play 31 games for St Kilda over five years.
He started as a 19-year old in the 1930 VFL season and in round 15, against Collingwood at Junction Oval on 23 August, was involved in a collision with an opposition player.
Admitted to Alfred Hospital with abdominal injuries described as "grave", he was operated on by doctors and afterwards remained in a critical condition.
[8][9] The Sporting Globe wrote that year that the full-back, with match practice, could develop into a champion player.
[10] Roberts was only able to play four games in 1933, then spent two years out of the side, some of it in Bendigo coaching.