AFL legend Nick Riewoldt’s huge call after ‘inappropriate’ pic divides footy

Nick Riewoldt has told the Bulldogs it is time to cut the cord with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan with the St Kilda legend presenting a cunning strategy.

Saints legend Nick Riewoldt has told the Western Bulldogs the club is better off without Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

The star forward has continued to make headlines in recent months despite appearing to be a long way away from being picked to play senior footy.

Ugle-Hagan had a turbulent off-season where the club said he was dealing with private issues. He has also been on a personal training schedule separate to his teammates.

That all came after it was reported last month Ugle-Hagan had lost the trust of some teammates, including captain Marcus Bontempelli, as a result of his off-field behaviour and reported attitude towards pre-season training.

FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer.

The saga has continued to play out in recent weeks since the former No. 1 draft pick skipped the Western Bulldogs’ 100-year anniversary game.

Nick Riewoldt dropped a harsh truth on the Western Bulldogs. Photo: 7Plus and instagram, @jamarrauh.

It was also reported last month the club had told Ugle-Hagan it was not happy with the 23-year-old’s active social media profile, particularly the number of photos he has shared of himself attending social events.

Now another image shared by the footballer on his birthday on Friday has raised eyebrows again after a response he made to an Instagram user’s comment.

When asked by an Instagram user if he had trained on his birthday or had a day off, Ugle-Hagan responded: “Rest day at ur mums joint”.

Channel 7 footy host Craig Hutchison said the comment was “inappropriate some might say”.

Riewoldt responded to Hutchison on Seven’s Agenda Setters on Monday night by advising the Dogs to prepare a strategy to trade Ugle-Hagan to another club at the end of the season.

“I think it’s clear for the Western Bulldogs now. It’s crystal clear,” he said.

“You’ve got one of the best young key forwards we might see for a long, long, long time. A generational talent in (Sam) Darcy. You don’t need Jamarra.

“So I would do everything I can to fatten him up this year. That means getting him back at some point to play some footy. Hopefully he kicks a bag.”

He said Ugle-Hagan is not the right fit to be Darcy’s partner in crime.

Bulldog Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. Picture: Michael Klein.

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan clapped back. Photo: Instagram.

“It’s not looking good, but he only has to get back at some point to show what he’s capable of for a game or two and then extract maximum value for him,” Riewoldt said.

“Because you don’t need him. Sam Darcy needs a Brody Mihocek beside him or a Taylor Walker.”

Kane Cornes pointed out Aaron Naughton would have been a perfect sidekick for Darcy had his form not fallen off a cliff since signing an eight year contract extension during the 2023 AFL trade period.

Cornes last week urged St Kilda to pursue Ugle-Hagan, saying the talented footballer would be a good fit alongside star forward Max King.

“I think, get him under the claws of Ross Lyon, and if they want to really show that they’re a footy club who cares about all these things that they’ve had a huge focus on with their review after losing Josh Battle (this is the chance),” Cornes said on SEN.

“They are the number one best fit for Jamarra. Look at it in terms of on-field where he would play next to Max King if they can get him fit, there is clearly a huge need for a second dangerous forward… I think he’d perfectly suit Max.

“I think it’s an excellent challenge for Ross, and one that he should accept, because Geelong would accept it, why wouldn’t Ross accept this challenge?”

Ugle-Hagan continues to be linked with the Saints and Swans. Sydney is reportedly continuing its search to add some firepower to their forward line, but it remains unclear if Ugle-Hagan is being viewed as a possible target.