Mature-age draftee Sam Davidson in frame to replace Jamarra Ugle-Hagan at Bulldogs
With doubts over Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s early 2025 season status growing, a mature-age Bulldogs recruit has put himself into the mix for a stunning debut against the Kangaroos.
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Western Bulldogs’ mature-age draftee Sam Davidson has surged into the frame for Round 1 selection as a potential replacement option for star goal kicker Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
Davidson, who last year completed a medicine degree, has made an immediate impact at the kennel as a mobile 190cm goal kicker who could provide x-factor deep forward or on the wing.
The 23-year-old has emerged as the biggest AFL selection bolter of the summer so far and a potential straight swap for Ugle-Hagan who is training away from the club to deal with personal issues.
Ugle-Hagan appears unlikely to be available for the early rounds of the season with the Bulldogs confirming on Wednesday that they would head to Noosa for a pre-season camp on Friday and match simulation session on Sunday without him.
Football manager Sam Power could publicly comment on the matter on Thursday.
While the Dogs have vowed to support Ugle-Hagan, there are fears over his immediate career prospects after 67 games and 103 goals in red, white and blue.
Ugle-Hagan, 22, was not at training again on Wednesday after the club last week confirmed the No. 1 draft pick was on a “flexible” training program.
His ongoing absence is a considerable blow for the club ahead of a big decision on the future of out-of-contract coach Luke Beveridge this year.
But Davidson has emerged as the silver lining after impressing on the track with his outstanding running capability, flexibility forward, mobile marking and clean skills since he arrived at the club with pick 51.
At the state combine, Davidson ran the 2km in 6min 12sec, which was the fourth-best result in the boys’ division, and would give the Dogs some extra running power in the forward half of the ground.
Davidson’s rise is an extraordinary climb from a man who worked in a cafe in Brighton last year and previously ran riot for various country footy clubs including Maffra and South Mildura in 2023 and Sale City in 2022 as he completed his regional medical placements.
He starred at times in the VFL last year for Richmond, booting 26 goals from 17 games in the VFL, including bags of six (Northern Bullants) and four (Port Melbourne) to lob on recruiters’ radars.
The attention came quickly after he was overlooked in the opening rounds of the VFL for selection at Punt Rd.
Western Bulldogs’ recruiting boss Dom Milesi said in a post-draft club video Davidson was a special character and brilliant runner.
“Unbelievably good interview, probably was close to the best we did all year,” Milesi said.
“Just going to be fantastic in a group and not surprisingly he is pretty intelligent.
“Some of his running to get from one end of the ground to the other late in the year he was playing as the high forward role was as good as I’ve seen anyone do.
“Athletically, yes he’s straight up with one of our better players.
“I think this guy will find a way to play AFL footy because there’s so many good things about him.”
At the end of the season Davidson was awarded the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the VFL’s most promising young player.
Without Ugle-Hagan, Davidson could offer immediate assistance to Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy as the Dogs look to reshape their forward line for 2025 after successfully recasting Rory Lobb as a defender late last year.
The Bulldogs take on North Melbourne in Round 1 at Marvel Stadium on Saturday March, 15 when new Roo Caleb Daniel prepares to face his old team in the Kangaroos’ first game of the season.
Beveridge has shown he is prepared to be bold with selection in the first game of the season after dropping Lachie Hunter from the best 22 in 2022 and opting for more run in favour of premiership stars Daniel and Jack Macrae last year.
Davidson, who is from St Kevin’s, will audition for a Round 1 guernsey this month in the club’s practice match against Essendon at Whitten Oval on February 15 and the formal pre-season game against Hawthorn in Launceston on February 27.
This Sunday also looms as a key opportunity when the Dogs play an internal scratch match at Maroochydore Sports Complex from 9.30am.
Davidson is vying with 201cm untried big man Jordan Croft, 19, for a spot in the team.
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