AFL 2022 Western Bulldogs v Melbourne Demons: All the latest news from the round 19 match
Hanging with your skipper and travelling around Australia in the off-season sounds like good times, but Jamarra Ugle-Hagan says it proved the starting point which led to his breakout game.
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Western Bulldogs young gun Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has conceded he was “nowhere near” fit enough during his frustrating debut season and has opened up on the advice that stuck with him during a “grinding” summer.
The No. 1 draft pick in the 2020 national draft, Ugle-Hagan did not debut at AFL level until Round 17 last season and was then overlooked by coach Luke Beveridge for the Bulldogs’ finals campaign.
It was widely speculated that Ugle-Hagan’s fitness levels were a large part of the reason why he was out of the senior team for much of last season, messages that the first-year player was receiving internally but didn’t fully comprehend.
“At the time you hear all these things from the coaches that you need to do this or that, but you feel like you are ready,” Ugle-Hagan said.
“But now looking back on it, I was nowhere near it.
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“It was hard to come in as the No. 1 draft pick. You expect to come in and just play some footy. But it’s completely different to juniors. You’re playing against men. They’re obviously going to have more development and they’re going to be fitter and stronger and better.
“I needed a fitness level to compare to last year to understand where I was at.”
The 20-year-old got that comparative fitness level over the off-season, the entirety of which he spent “in the back pocket” of captain Marcus Bontempelli.
The pair travelled together to Exmouth, the Gold Coast, Sydney, Darwin and the Tiwi Islands — all while completing a gruelling training program.
“He asked me to tag along,” Ugle-Hagan said of the trip with his skipper.
“It got me a lot closer to him. But when we had to train, I could tell that he always wanted to do a little bit more. He always wanted to work. So it was great to train with him and I feel like that’s helped me get the games I’ve played this year.
“Doing all the running with Marcus made me a lot better.”
Ugle-Hagan has played 12 matches this year, including a breakout game against reigning premier Melbourne on Saturday night.
The key forward kicked a career-high five goals in that match including three in a tense final quarter, earning him the NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for Round 19.
Ugle-Hagan said he had taken a different approach to his football this year, after feeling the pressure of holding the No. 1 draft pick tag last season.
“Being the No. 1 draft pick, you’ve got to expect all the hate, no matter what,” he said.
“But I know Nick Riewoldt said to me when I was walking down into the rooms one game last year that, ‘No one’s going to remember your first two years, they’re going to remember your career, especially as a key forward’. That’s always stuck in the back of my head and has helped keep me grinding and working because I know it’s going to come if I kept doing the little things and not just rely on my talent.”
Ugle-Hagan said he had also taken plenty of advice on board from fellow Bulldogs forwards Josh Bruce and Aaron Naughton as he has tried to play a greater role for the team this year.
“Josh Bruce is always telling me the best thing we can do is halve the contest and bring it to ground,” he said.
“Aaron Naughton tells me to jump for everything and I know he does as well and that’s what makes him such a great player. So that’s my main focus, to jump and compete for everything and halve the contest.
“The past couple of weeks I’ve just been stronger with my marking and I’ve been more confident around the ground. It’s really brought out my old game, where I just used to play and not overthink football.”
Which Dees will return for vital Dockers clash?
- Marc McGowan
Melbourne will aim to rediscover its defensive “hallmark” in the next six days ahead of a potentially season-defining trip west to face Fremantle on Friday night.
Coach Simon Goodwin expects Jake Lever to be available for the Fremantle showdown but was less confident about spearhead Ben Brown, who continues to manage a knee injury that will impact him until his career ends.
“We’ll just monitor that this week, but hopefully we’ll get him out there,” he said of Brown.
“He went for a light jog (on Saturday) and we’ll see how he pulls up in the next few days.”
James Jordon (knee) played out Saturday night’s match but will be monitored throughout the week.
The Demons conceded 100-plus points for the first time in three years in Saturday night’s 10-point loss to the Western Bulldogs in a wildly entertaining Marvel Stadium shootout.
Goodwin’s side has suffered defeats in five of its last eight to lose the aura of invincibility it once boasted despite leading by a game-high 27 points late in the second term.
But it was the Bulldogs’ ability to run rampant on the reigning premiers’ defence, which was missing the All-Australian Lever (shoulder), that bothered Goodwin most.
“It’s a missed opportunity at our end,” he said.
“(But) they’re just typical games against the Western Bulldogs – they swing on momentum and we’ve had that before. Probably for us, 110 points against isn’t a normal Melbourne game.
“The Bulldogs certainly got the game more looking like their type of game for longer, and that’s what enabled them to get themselves back into the game ... so we’ll go away and look at that.”
Melbourne could be outside the top four by the end of next round if it doesn’t avenge the round 11 defeat to the Dockers at the MCG, which started the rot after a 17-match winning streak.
“When you lose tight games at this time of year, it hurts,” Goodwin said.
“Our challenge as a footy club now is to respond quickly and that response needs to come next week against Fremantle ... but, as I said, 110 points against isn’t quite the way we want to play.
(Then there was) that third quarter where they dominated the time in half – they’re two things we’ll go away and look at.”
MARRA FLICKS SWITCH AS DOGS STICK IT TO DEES
Nick Smart
Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan says he hopes his career-best five goal performance on Saturday night is “just the start” after spearheading a pulsating win over Melbourne.
Three of those goals came in the Bulldogs’ brilliant final-quarter comeback, and his fifth goal sailed through to seal the contest in the dying seconds.
“One hundred per cent I’m happy with that, but hopefully it’s just the start,” he told Channel 7.
“Honestly that was an unbelievable win, as you can see by the smiles on the boys’ faces.
“That was just all we wanted from the start and we got it, and it was a good game for us as well.”
Ugle-Hagan said his confidence was growing by the week.
“As I get told all the time, it’s a marathon and not a sprint,” he said.
“Obviously I’m a No.1 draft pick and (I’m expected) to come out and dominate, but obviously I’ve just got to take little steps all the time and get better and better.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, who said he was immensely proud of the win, said Ugle-Hagan’s performance on Saturday night was reward for effort.
“He kicked three on the Gold Coast in one of his earlier games and he hasn’t hit the scoreboard a hell of a lot (since),” Beveridge said.
“Tonight he kicked straight and some of those contested marks would give him some confidence going forward.”
Adam Treloar (calf) was subbed out with a calf complaint that may require a scan in the coming days.
It was the first time since 2019 that Melbourne has conceded over 100 points in a game, which Demons coach Simon Goodwin described as “un-Melbourne like.”
“It’s a missed opportunity from our end and credit to the Bulldogs…it was a typical game against the Western Bulldogs,” Goodwin said.
“There were momentum swings all through the night.
“For us, 110 points against is not a normal Melbourne game so the Bulldogs got it more looking like their type of game for longer.
“They’re disappointed, they’re shattered and know it was a missed opportunity.”
Dogs finally exact their revenge on Demons
Luke Beveridge tried to tell us his Western Bulldogs had time to salvage their season.
The Bulldogs are back inside the top eight in stunning fashion, avenging consecutive defeats to reigning premier Melbourne — including last year’s grand final — with a thrilling 10-point triumph at Marvel Stadium.
It also proved No. 1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s first statement game, with his career-best fifth goal sailing through to seal the contest in the dying seconds.
Three of those goals came in the brilliant final-quarter comeback after Beveridge’s men largely dominated the third quarter without getting enough scoreboard reward.
The only negative for the Dogs was another Adam Treloar soft-tissue setback that saw him subbed out of the match in the last term after winning 28 disposals in barely three quarters.
In a classic encounter with wild swings of momentum from the first siren, the Demons shot out to a game-high 27-point lead shortly before halftime.
But the Dogs kicked five of the next six goals either side of the main break to slash the deficit and eventually chased down Melbourne in sensational fashion.
They had challenged Melbourne throughout the night without snatching the lead — at least after leading three goals to one early — until they did so inside the final five minutes.
Bailey Smith and Riley Garcia combined to put the Bulldogs in front for good, with the moment also seeing the Dees concede 100 points for the first time in three years, in this exact round in 2019.
The Dogs’ season was in jeopardy when they suffered back-to-back losses to Brisbane and Sydney in rounds 16 and 17 but they are now capitalising on Richmond’s repeat fumbles from winning situations.
St Kilda proved no match for them a week ago but this performance was even more impressive, with Jack Macrae recovering from a tardy start to be one of the most influential players by night’s end.
Fellow midfielders Marcus Bontempelli and Bailey Smith were also prominent, as well as defenders Bailey Dale and Ed Richards and ruckman Tim English, who had a great battle with Max Gawn.
Clayton Oliver won 21 contested possessions and 28 disposals overall, while Bayley Fritsch kicked four goals but this was the Demons’ latest second-half fadeout.
No. 1 PICK ON THE IMPROVE
Don’t look now but Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is coming to life.
Ugle-Hagan’s stats sheet from this one won’t blow anyone away outside of his career-high four goals but he provided an excellent aerial presence all night.
The 20-year-old, who has copped his share of criticism already for on- and off-field matters, kicked multiple goals only twice in his first 15 career games and had only seven in 10 matches to start this year.
But Ugle-Hagan’s booted eight goals across the past fortnight to emerge as Aaron Naughton’s right-hand man at a time Josh Bruce is still finding his feet in his return from an ACL rupture.
NEW-LOOK FORWARD LINE FIRES
No Ben Brown. No Tom McDonald. No worries.
Melbourne’s shift to a smaller forward line based around two talls — Sam Weideman on this night, alongside one of Luke Jackson or Max Gawn — worked a treat.
Bayley Fritsch starred with four goals but Weideman, who came in for the injured Brown, added three and Jake Melksham and Kozzy Pickett helped themselves to two apiece in a balanced attack.
Alex Neal-Bullen poured on the pressure as usual, while money-kick specialist Charlie Spargo did his bit, too.
There is some doubt about whether McDonald will make it back in time to be a finals factor but if he does, will the reigning premiers stick with small-ball?
Melksham’s been the biggest beneficiary of the structure tweak, after it seemed the Demons might have got him to game No. 200 but no more.
The 30-year-old ex-Bomber had more tackles (seven) than touches (six) last week, but was sharp early in this one and more than did enough to maintain his spot.
SCOREBOARD
BULLDOGS 4.0 9.2 12.6 17.8 (110)
DEMONS 6.3 11.5 14.7 15.10 (100)
McGOWAN’S BEST
Bulldogs: Ugle-Hagan, Macrae, Smith, Treloar, Bontempelli, Dale, English, Richards.
Demons: Oliver, Fritsch, Brayshaw, Gawn, Viney, May.
GOALS
Bulldogs: Ugle-Hagan 5, Weightman 2, English 2, Naughton 2, Garcia 2, Bontempelli, West, Treloar, Macrae.
Demons: Fritsch 4, Weideman 3, Melksham 2, Pickett 2, Neal-Bullen, Sparrow, Jackson, Harmes.
INJURIES
Bulldogs: Treloar (calf).
Demons: None.
UMPIRES
Meredith, Findlay, Mollison
VENUE
Marvel Stadium
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
McGOWAN’S VOTES
3 J.Ugle-Hagan (WB)
2 J.Macrae (WB)
1 C.Oliver (WB)
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