Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has opened up on troubled forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s future at the club, admitting he is unsure whether he will feature again at AFL level.
Personal issues have derailed the 23-year old’s promising career at the highest level, with the former No.1 draft pick not appearing at senior level since last year’s elimination final and only sporadically attending training, including not at all in the past three weeks.
This has led to reports of a rift between Ugle-Hagan and senior players, with Beveridge revealing in an exclusive interview with the Herald Sun that rebuilding relationships is ‘going to take a lot of time’.
“I don’t know, that is the serious answer,” Beveridge said when asked if Ugle-Hagan was keen to play senior football again.
“He will tell you he does, but the actions don’t back the words up.
“It is going to take a lot of time to build trust again with everyone. The thing about compliance and punctuality and being in a program you have to be there. You can’t choose which days you don’t come, and that has probably been his existence over this year until recently when he has been away from the club.”
Beveridge added that he was unwilling to give Ugle-Hagan his full attention over Bulldogs actually representing the club.
“There comes a time when you have to step off the preoccupation with him and make sure you centre your observations and influence on the people who are there,” he said.
The Bulldogs coach added that while he hopes the ‘penny will drop’, more of the same will likely see things ‘come to a head’ before season’s end.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan celebrates with Aaron Naughton after kicking a goal. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
“I’m hoping it does happen. I’m just not sure when it will be, but it is not occupying my every day [thoughts],” he said.
“I have just channelled any frustration or negativity and just channelled it into positive energy for the group at large.
“I have got no other choice.”
The club have reportedly been frustrated in both Ugle-Hagan’s absence from training, and his continued posting on social media.
Herald Sun chief football writer Jay Clark has reported that attempts to organise a meeting between Ugle-Hagan, Bulldogs officials and medical experts have been unsuccessful.
The 67-game key forward, who was taken with Pick 1 as an NGA Academy selection by the Bulldogs at the 2020 draft, enjoyed a career-best 2024 in which he kicked 43 goals, including three consecutive bags of four against eventual finalists Carlton, Geelong and Sydney.
However, concerns about his off-field professionalism prompted the Bulldogs to nearly omit him from the line-up for their elimination final clash with Hawthorn, with Ugle-Hagan eventually lining up on the bench and gathering just four disposals in the club’s season-ending loss.
