Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has conceded Jamarra-Ugle Hagan may not play a senior game this season.
Ugle-Hagan, 22, continues to work through personal challenges, and is regularly training away from the club.
He missed the season opener against North Melbourne, and must complete a long training block – and regain the confidence of key figures within the club – before he is deemed fit to play.
Luke Beveridge says there is no guarantee Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will play this season.Credit: Justin McManus
In an exclusive interview with this masthead earlier this month, Beveridge said there was no guarantee the athletic forward would be fully back in the fold in the short term. He said Ugle-Hagan would not be selected until senior people at the club believed he had earned his place back in the team, and “I don’t know when that will be”.
Now the coach has conceded Ugle-Hagan may not be in the senior mix at all this season.
“I can’t answer that definitively … we are hoping,” Beveridge told AFL360 when asked whether he thought Ugle-Hagan would play this season.
“Like some of the other answers, time will tell.”
Ugle-Hagan signed a contract extension with the Bulldogs last season, tying him to the club until the end of 2026. He has booted 103 goals in his first four seasons.
Beveridge last week said his relationship with Ugle-Hagan was one of “care and nurturing”.
“I’ve had a relationship with him the whole way through and it’s been one of care and nurturing and what’s transpired over the recent times, things have changed in relation to his being on campus,” Beveridge said.
“So as a club and as the team’s moving forward, now we’re trying to bring him back into the tent, and so we’re looking for him to provide energy and commitment to that. With the challenges he faces, there’s no guarantee that’s going to happen in the short-term.
“I’m trying to stay out of his hair and let others sort of manage a lot of that and help him through it. He just knows that I’m here, and ultimately, we’re hoping that he’s going to be able to invest fully in the future.
“So nothing’s really changed, other than he’s not a part of the week-to-week discussion around being part of the team.”
The Bulldogs will revert to their old name of Footscray on Friday when they mark their centenary with a blockbuster clash against Collingwood at the MCG.
Skipper Marcus Bontempelli (calf) has begun running but Beveridge said he was still three weeks away from returning.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.
