James Hird issues dire warning for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s Bulldogs future

An AFL legend has delivered a stark warning to a young gun as his future in the league remains up in the air as damning reports swirl.

The hits just keep coming for Western Bulldogs star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

The 22-year-old has found himself standing on the outside looking in with reports swirling he won’t be considered to play until he has fixed fractured relationships at the club.

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Journalist Sam McClure reported on Channel 9’s Footy Classified on Monday the former No. 1 draft pick needs to win the approval of captain Marcus Bontempelli, coach Luke Beveridge and former housemate Rory Lobb.

On Tuesday night, in the wake of the reports, Essendon legend James Hird issued a dire take on the matter and Ugle-Hagan’s future at the club.

“If you’ve lost the trust of the coach and the captain, it sounds like there’s no coming back,” Hird said on Nine’s Footy Classified.

“You might lose the trust of the coach but the captain is on your side. But if you’ve lost the trust of both, it’s very difficult … Trust is the one that keeps ringing in my ear … If you’ve broken the trust over and over again, I don’t see them coming back.

“It all comes back to one person, Jamarra. Does he want to change his lifestyle to get back, to rebuild a trust, train hard, stay out of trouble, whether he’s in trouble to stay out of going out, actually just use his performance on the field to get back to trust.

“If he doesn’t want to do that, there’s no chance of him coming back.”

Hird says if he’s lost trust it’s hard to come back from. Credit: Channel Nine

The young gun only returned to training in mid-February. Picture: Michael Klein

Adelaide great Rory Sloane echoed Hird’s sentiment and said the fractured relationship couldn’t have come from just one incident.

“You don’t do that over one instance either, it must be over a period of time,” Sloane said.

“Whenever someone messes up or hasn’t quite lived up to the standards that you’ve got, you wrap your arms around them and you help them through it.

“The coach and the captain have 43 other players to look after as well. So it comes to a point where you go, well, how much time and effort can I sink into one person when all these other guys need my help.”

Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire laid the boots into the Dogs young gun for effectively throwing his career away.

The relationship between Jamarra (left) and Bontempelli has reportedly soured. Photo by Michael Klein

“There’s nothing that drives a supporter mad more than a number one draft pick or a good player who turns up and has got no interest of being involved at the start of the season,” McGuire said.

“And with the figures, blokes are now getting paid what average is about $600,000 this year and heading towards $2 million a year? Come on … be serious.

“Last year in the finals he was out and about before the Western Bulldogs played Hawthorn (in an elimination final). He got four touches in that game.

“Coach was absolutely filthy, captain was absolutely filthy. And he’s had a big summer … off the field.

“Some say maybe they need to put a red rope out the front of Whitten Oval to get him to turn up.

“I’m being hard on him because I’ve really liked Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, and I’m watching a kid just ruin his opportunity for something that’s never going to come around again.”

Jamarra failed to make an impact during the elimination final. Picture: Mark Stewart

Off on holiday following the end of the 2024 season. Picture: Instagram

The relationship between the young gun and the club is said to have exploded during last year’s elimination final.

An exclusive report by Code Sports’ Scott Gullan has revealed the Bulldogs were debating whether to leave the young forward out of their team to face Hawthorn two hours before the first bounce.

It came amid concern about the former No.1 draft pick’s increasingly erratic behaviour.

The decision was made after consultation with players to instead start Ugle-Hagan on the bench.

Following his nightmare outing in the club’s 37-point elimination final loss, the young gun has been absent for most of the team’s pre-season and also missed a pre-season camp in Queensland as a result of “personal challenges”.

The Bulldogs open their 2025 season March 15 when they take on North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

As it currently stands the swirling rumours hanging over the club and Ugle-Hagan show no signs of going away anytime soon.

Originally published as James Hird issues dire warning for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s Bulldogs future