Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s immediate playing future unclear as club reveals off-field battle

Former No.1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s availability for the 2025 AFL season remains a mystery as he deals with personal issues.

Playing football isn’t a priority for Western Bulldogs star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan right now, with no clear path for a return as he battles through personal challenges that have “different layers”.

The 22-year-old has been absent from much of pre-season training, with the club’s support, and won’t attend a pre-season camp in Queensland.

Acting football boss Sam Power conceded there was no “timeline” on Ugle-Hagan returning to full-time duties and no clarity on his availability for the season.

Ugle-Hagan will maintain the “flexible” training arrangements, but Power conceded that would “clearly” have an impact on when he would reach a condition of being able to perform at AFL level.

“We aren’t putting a timeframe on Jamarra at the moment in terms of when he might be playing or when he might be back full-time in our training program,” Power said on Thursday.

“All our decision-making at present, in the short term, is around his well being.

“We’re really hopefully that Jamarra is still going to play a big role for us this season, but we can’t put a timeline on it.

“We are in constant dialogue with Jamarra. Really, the priority with him now is his welfare and what we an do as a football club to support him.

“He’s clearly got some personal issues and challenges he is working through. The important thing as a club is to provide the support for Jamarra and have regular communication with him and his family and his manager.”

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is not travelling with the Western Bulldogs on the pre-season camp. Picture: David Crosling

The details of Ugle-Hagan’s challenges remain unclear, but Power said some of them had been present for “a little bit”.

He said the club was trying to “strike a balance” in supporting him but keeping a focus of staying in touch with the football program.

“To be honest, the training and the playing side is not the No.1 priority at the moment,” Power told SEN.

“From a short-term perspective, it’s the support and the welfare, that’s why we have a training program for him which has flexibility where there is a portion of that which is off-site … and flexibility for him to be in at the club on different days. At the moment that’s the best program for him.

“Some of these challenges have been present for a little bit and it’s always about trying to strike the right balance. It gets to a point where we have to step back from the football and the training element of it. We want to set Jamarra up medium to longer term to really excel on the field.”

In another blow to the Bulldogs, Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen will miss the start of the season after badly hurting his hamstring at training and will require a “minor surgical procedure” to ensure a full recovery.

Originally published as Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s immediate playing future unclear as club reveals off-field battle