- Grim update from Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge
- Jamarra Ugle-Hagan could miss entire 2025 AFL season
- No timeframe has been set for Ugle-Hagan’s eventual return
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has footy fans on edge after declaring troubled star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan may not play at all this season.
It comes as Ugle-Hagan, 22, continues to work through personal challenges away from the sport.
He missed his team’s hard-fought round one win against the Kangaroos – and must excel in a prolonged training block before club figures entertain the prospect of bringing him back into the senior team.
Speaking on AFL 360 on Monday, Beveridge admitted the supremely talented forward may not be seen in 2025.
‘I can’t answer that definitively… we are hoping,’ Beveridge said when pressed on Ugle-Hagan’s possible return.
‘As a club, we are trying to bring him back into the tent, and so we’re looking for him to provide energy and commitment. With the challenges he faces, there’s no guarantee that’s going to happen in the short-term.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge (pictured) has footy fans on edge after declaring troubled star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan may not play this season
It comes as Ugle-Hagan, 22, continues to work through personal challenges away from the sport
Ugle-Hagan (pictured with boxer Tim Tszyu) must excel in a prolonged training block before club figures entertain the prospect of bringing him back into the senior team
‘Ultimately, we are hoping he’s going to be able to invest fully in the future.’
Earlier this month, it was revealed the Bulldogs seriously considered pulling Ugle-Hagan out of the last year’s elimination final just two hours before the opening bounce due to worries about his mental state.
Beveridge was so concerned that he spoke with his leadership group about dropping his team’s x-factor before the semi-final with Hawthorn.
After an intense meeting at the MCG, it was decided that Ugle-Hagan would start from the interchange bench.
Ugle-Hagan went on to have his worst game of his season, with the red-hot Hawks winning the clash by 37 points.
A wild – and unfounded rumour – was also circulating that Ugle-Hagan pulled a firearm on Rory Lobb, a teammate at Whitten Oval.
Ominously, AFL legend and former Essendon coach James Hird believes there might be ‘no coming back’ for the young gun.
‘If you’ve lost the trust of the coach and captain [Marcus Bontempelli], it sounds like there’s no coming back,’ Hird told Footy Classified in early March.
‘You might lose the trust of the coach, but the captain is on your side. But if you’ve lost the trust of both, it is very difficult.
‘And if you’ve broken the trust over and over again, I don’t see you coming back.’
