In 1964 the Stawell Football Club chased Roger after he won the Wimmera League GF with Rupanyup, and spent a pre-season with Fitzroy. Roger, from Glenorchy, said “find me a job and I will come.” The job was with the FCV and, while hoping to become an Overseer, he spent four years driving trucks and dozers, and camping out before resigning to get married, raise a family, and manage the family business in Glenorchy for the next seven years.

In 1975 he seized the opportunity to undertake the Certificate of Applied Science at the VSF, studying three months of each year for three years, while appointed as the FCV's Forest Overseer at Woohlpooer. He supervised forestry operations in the Woohlpooer State Forest, and other local State Forests, while managing the Work Centre.

A move of the Work Centre into Cavendish, and a new house for the family, was completed in 1978. Roger and wife Kay live there today (2024).

He retired from the Department in 2010, but worked casually for VicForests managing commercial timber operations in the Wimmera and Portland regions until 2018.