Western Bulldogs young star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s immediate playing future in doubt as he deals with personal issues
The Western Bulldogs have been supporting young star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan but his issues remain complex and his immediate playing future is unclear. Will he play in 2025?
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Western Bulldogs have confirmed superstar forward Jamarra Ugle Hagan is on a “flexible” training program as a cloud hangs over his playing future.
The brilliant goal kicker is in significant doubt to play Round 1 against North Melbourne after missing a considerable chunk of the pre-season with personal issues.
The Bulldogs have been supporting Ugle-Hagan but his issues remain complex and his immediate playing future is unclear.
The Bulldogs confirmed on Monday the 22-year-old had been absent for some sessions over summer and was doing some training away from the main group.
In a statement on Monday, the Bulldogs said Ugle-Hagan was “currently undertaking flexible training arrangements as he deals with personal issues.”
“With the endorsement of the football program, Jamarra has alternated his training between Mission Whitten Oval and away from the club,” the statement read.
“The club continues to provide its full support to Jamarra and remains in constant contact with him, his family and his management.
“With Jamarra’s health and wellbeing of paramount importance, the club requests that his privacy be respected during this period.”
While those off-site sessions include some boxing training, it is likely the No. 1 draft pick is at serious risk of coming into the new season underdone.
It would be a huge blow for the Bulldogs as Ugle-Hagan at his best is one of the most athletic and most dangerous key forwards in the game and he led the club goalkicking last year with 43 majors.
If Ugle-Hagan misses some of the early part of the season, gun re-signed swingman Sam Darcy could fill the void at centre half forward.
Darcy is considered one of the most promising players in the competition and could partner Aaron Naughton in attack in a twin tower setup.
Rory Lobb is expected to continue his career down back.
Bulldogs games record holder Brad Johnson, who is also a goalkicking coach at the kennel, said it would require patience before Ugle-Hagan is ready to fully return to the football program.
With Naughton and Darcy in the forward line, Johnson said the Dogs could manage with two talls if Ugle-Hagan missed games at the start of the season.
“He looked good last year Jamarra. He took a step forward in his ability and his movement and what he was doing from a contested point of view,” Johnson told SEN.
“Naughton is a competitor, Darcy is an improving player and continues to look really good at the moment now and is fit and strong … there is still confidence there form a tall perspective.”
The forward would have been a lock to play out of the goalsquare for the Indigenous All-Stars against Fremantle in Perth on February 15 but his availability for that game now appears unlikely.
The Bulldogs are due to head to a camp in Queensland this month and play their first match simulation against an opponent, also on February 15 against Essendon.
The Dogs open the season proper against North Melbourne in round 1 on March 15.
Ugle-Hagan missed two games in rounds 6 and 7 of 2024 due to personal reasons, and coach Luke Beveridge said at the time the death of family members and the pressure of the game “compounded things for him”.
“I suppose when any player just takes a little bit of time out of the game that’s a difficult question to answer (if he was coping okay). So I can’t really tell you exactly how he is,” Beveridge said in April.
“In the game and the pressures of it, everyone, every player, and every club across the land is always dealing with something you know, as far as external scrutiny and the internal expectations and ‘Marra is no different.”
A former No.1 draft pick, Ugle-Hagan has improved his game year on year since a debut in 2021.
He signed a two-year contract extension in May last year that tied him to the club until the end of 2026, when rivals were lining up to get in front of the mobile forward.
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