'Gone by now': Matthew Lloyd's reality check for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan as relationship breakdown with coach, teammates revealed
The story around Jamarra Ugle-Hagan's situation at the Bulldogs has entered a new chapter, with revelations he has three relationships to fix.
In mid-February, Ugle-Hagan returned to full training after an off-season where he took time away from the club to deal with personal issues.
Ugle-Hagan was part of the Indigenous All-Stars squad in February but didn't play. The 22-year-old has since trained fully the past three weeks.
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The Age's Sam McClure revealed on Nine's Footy Classified that Ugle-Hagan had three relationships to fix before returning to the Bulldogs' AFL selection frame, along with ensuring his physical fitness is up to standard for playing senior football.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan of the Bulldogs looks dejected after their 2024 elimination final loss to Hawthorn. AFL Photos via Getty Images
"One is with the coach Luke Beveridge, another is the captain Marcus Bontempelli and another a senior teammate, and a man he lived with for several months at the end of last season, Rory Lobb," he said.
Essendon great Matthew Lloyd described it as laughable that Ugle-Hagan had only trained for three weeks.
"I think to myself, 'How did Clayton Oliver go last year without a pre-season?'," he said.
"He was awful. He chased his tail ... You get injuries. It's one thing his lack of conditioning, the second thing is when you don't have the respect of the coach and players. He didn't have it when he first got to the club. How long did Luke Beveridge make him wait to play a game of football? A long, long time."
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With Bontempelli reportedly using his own time to help Ugle-Hagan, Lloyd went on to explain the flow-on effect that could have on the group.
"The problem in footy clubs, it's the only player who's taking everyone's time and energy. It might be the sports psychologist, it might be the fitness coach, it's the captain, it's the coach, and it can only last so long," he said.
"If he wasn't the No.1 draft pick he's probably gone by now. He's got to realise his career will be over in two or three years."
Ugle-Hagan is contracted to the Bulldogs until the end of 2026, after signing a contract extension in 2024.
