Gold Coast Suns leader Sam Collins backs Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s pre-season
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has hit the ground running after his move to the Suns, with Sam Collins saying the former No.1 pick looks like he can ‘get back to playing his best football’.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has made a promising start to life as a Gold Coast Sun with vice-captain Sam Collins declaring the former Bulldog “looks like someone who wants to get back to playing his best football”.
Ugle-Hagan reported for his first official day of pre-season this week but has also been involved in the various optional skills and running sessions organised by the playing group over the past month in a sign he is serious about reinvigorating his AFL career.
He has also been spotted hanging out with Geelong superstar Bailey Smith, who has been holidaying on the Gold Coast in recent weeks.
Smith is a fitness fanatic who enjoys training in the Queensland heat during the off-season. Ugle-Hagan’s work ethic and desire to “earn his stripes” has impressed his new teammate, Collins.
“I think Jamarra has been on the Coast pretty much since he knew he was coming here, staying with Dimma (coach Damien Hardwick) and now he is in with Harbs (Indigenous leader Jarrod Harbrow),” Collins told this masthead on Thursday.
“All I have seen from him is a kid who is absolutely hungry to train his hardest. He brings good energy to the group as well which I think can’t be underrated.
“He reminds me of a new kid coming into a new environment wanting to earn his stripes again and I think that is all we ask from any of our new players through the door.
“Whether you have maybe had a bit of a rough 12-month trot like Jamarra and you are trying to put that behind you, or you are one of the new draftees coming through the door, we just want boys who come in, buy into the program, train really hard, add value and build some connection with each other.”
It is notable praise from a no-nonsense operator like Collins, who is one of the big culture and standard setters at the Suns.
The key defender was one of many senior players to report back early for pre-season this week, revealing the playing group was hungry to build on its promising 2025 campaign when it made finals for the first time in club history.
“Last year, while that was great, we are looking to go again and we have got some exciting young boys through the door and then obviously Trac (Christian Petracca) and Jamarra as well which is going to be pretty exciting for us,” he said.
“I think what was most noticeable last season was how much more enjoyable football is when you are winning more consistently.
“Full credit to Dimma and the coaching staff for making it a place where we all wanted to be and we were looking forward to playing games of football because we knew we could win every week.
“Unfortunately we got bowled out a bit too early but we are looking forward to going a few better next season.
“The sky is the limit for us, we just have to make sure we don’t get complacent in the way we go about it.”
Originally published as Gold Coast Suns leader Sam Collins backs Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s pre-season
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