James recently re-signed with Essendon to remain at the club for a further two years.

James played for the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup, where he was recruited by the Greater Western Sydney Giants with pick 27 in the 2012 national draft.  After spending four years at GWS, he was then traded to Essendon in 2016.

As a utility, he has shown he can be played up forward while also helping down back, taking on the oppositions’ key forwards.

General manager of Essendon’s list and recruiting Adrian Dodoro said James’ versatility makes him a key member of the Dons squad.

“James is an experienced key position player who can use his strength to be a key target in attack or transition down back to stop opposition forwards,” Dodoro said.

“We look forward to seeing James continue to grow and develop over the years to come.”