- James Hird says Jamarra Ugle-Hagan needs to be saved
- Western Bulldogs star hasn’t played AFL at all this year
Footy legend James Hird has warned that something ‘even worse’ will happen to Jamarra Ugle-Hagan if he doesn’t change his ways after the youngster was ‘almost shot’ while at a notorious Melbourne nightclub.
On Tuesday, the troubled footy star revealed just how close he came to suffering a serious injury when a firearm was discharged at around 2.30am on Sunday outside Prahran’s Love Machine nightclub.
‘It was that close to me, I’m lucky I wasn’t hit,’ the 2020 No.1 draft pick told News Corp.
‘I wasn’t involved with anything, as the police know.
‘There were 20 people around me and probably another 100 at the venue, but my name is being mentioned like I have some kind of part in it.
‘I’m linked just by being there. It’s trial by media.
Western Bulldogs star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (pictured) was caught up in a nightclub shooting over the weekend while he remains on mental health leave from the club
AFL legend James Hird (pictured) says Ugle-Hagan needs to be ‘saved’ before something tragic happens to him
‘It is out of my control.
‘It is traumatising and no one should be near or see any of that.’
Ugle-Hagan has endured a turbulent 12 months, stepping away from football on indefinite personal leave as he struggled with severe mental health challenges he admitted left him at ‘rock bottom’.
Hird believes the youngster ‘needs to be saved’ before something terrible happens.
‘If he’s at Love Machine next week or the week after, something even worse will happen,’ Hird said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
‘He’s got to stop that behaviour.’
Hird’s fellow panellist Eddie McGuire agreed that things were not improving for Ugle-Hagan.
‘He is getting closer and closer and closer to a huge disaster,’ he said.
Ugle-Hagan (pictured) is hoping to return to footy after a well-documented fall from grace
‘This is what’s reported; we all know what’s not getting reported.’
Crows star Rory Sloane added that ‘clubs will always condemn the action but always support the player’, but Hird wasn’t so sure.
‘I don’t think they will support Jamarra for much longer,’ Hird said.
‘I think they’ve almost stopped supporting him.
‘The kid has to be saved.’
Earlier in August, the Bulldogs star, who has not played for his club since March 2025 due to mental health, revealed to News Corp that he was ‘getting much better’ as he looked to make his return to football.
‘I’m journaling every morning as soon as I wake up.
‘I feel like that is more in my interest now to get me through this tough time.
‘I love training myself and putting myself through something I can get better at. It is an easier way for me.’
He added that he has been spending time with his supportive friends to help keep his mental health on track.
Ugle-Hagan, who was the Doggies’ leading goalkicker during the 2024 campaign, has made 67 AFL appearances for the Melbourne-based club, having debuted back in 2021.
