On a notorious football fan website, there are no less than 65 forum pages dedicated to the ‘scandals and rumours’ surrounding one JUH.
That’s Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, to those who don’t follow Aussie Rules.
The Bulldogs’ young gun hasn’t played in months. The official line is that’s because of his mental health.
But swirling around that are speculation and whispers, all feeding a growing belief among sections of the fanbase that there is more to the story. A cryptic post from his ex‑girlfriend about staying ‘silent’ to ‘protect’ someone has only added fuel to the fire.
One thing’s clear: the love affair between JUH and sections of the Bulldogs faithful is over. Many now openly question whether he even wants to play footy again.
‘He is nothing more than a club mascot at this point,’ one fan wrote.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was once the pride of the Bulldogs, racking up memorable moments, including this Nicky Winmar tribute after copping racial abuse in March 2023
Those fans have progressively turned on the Bulldogs star because of his prolonged leave of absence and speculation over his future
Ugle–Hagan has been linked to a host of rival clubs, including Geelong, after he was tagged in this Instagram image taken in the Cats’ dressing room on match day recently
And they are far from alone in puzzling over the enigma that is JUH.
A simple Instagram post featuring Geelong star Bailey Smith with young fans tipped petrol onto the campfire this week simply because the original poster had tagged Ugle‑Hagan.
Why? It doesn’t matter anymore. For a certain segment of rabid Bulldogs fans, it means that JUH is signed, sealed and delivered to Geelong this trade period.
But then he has also been ‘guaranteed’ by fans to be going to the Sydney Swans, Brisbane Lions, Hawthorn, Demons, Collingwood – the speculation has gone beyond meme status and reached obsession.
The rumour mill began ramping up in March, when Ugle‑Hagan allegedly skipped a Bulldogs match and was instead spotted at a pub – sparking a furious response from Essendon great James Hird, who called it ‘very strange’ and ‘unacceptable’.
It was the kind of public absence that inflames football talkback, and on fan forums, it lit a bonfire.
‘Not attending the game… he’s either feeling too embarrassed to be around club greats (which is quite sad) or he just doesn’t care,’ one poster speculated.
‘Either way… surely this would be the final nail.’
One of the biggest line-in-the-sand moments came when Ugle-Hagan, instead of turning out for the Bulldogs (pictured right, playing against GWS), was allegedly spotted at a pub
The Bulldogs star continues to train with his teammates, but fans are concerned that the divide between them is becoming too big to be salvageable
Others went further.
‘From his first season he was always in the social pages… not uncommon to see him with a drink in hand somewhere,’ they claimed. (His debut-season celebrity stemmed from his short-lived relationship with Mia Fevola, the stepdaughter of Carlton legend Brendan, which imploded in the days after the 2021 AFL Grand Final in Perth.)
‘He hasn’t watched a game of footy since Buddy’s 1000th. He just doesn’t care.’
One anecdote about a lack of game awareness fired up his online critics.
‘He got told to play on Jake Lever… he didn’t even know who he was. He had to ask, “Which one is Lever?”‘ a post claimed.
Then came his split from girlfriend Liv Kelly, a fitness influencer who had been living with Ugle‑Hagan since 2022.
She broke her silence in July with a cryptic TikTok video in which she said: ‘When you kept silent to protect them but find out what they were actually doing when you weren’t there.’
She then sharpened the knife in the comments section.
Ugle-Hagan’s relationship breakdown with fitness influencer Olivia Kelly (pictured together) has also sparked plenty of chatter in footy forums
Comments made by Kelly only served to fuel the rumour mill around the enigmatic AFL star
When a follower told her that she should go on a podcast to share her story, she replied, ‘Same but they don’t even deserve the air time.’
Kelly replied to another commenter with: ‘We love a narcissist.’
It was enough to send speculation into overdrive. On forums, the theories went wild, some insisting she was hinting at darker personal behaviour, others that it confirmed his priorities had long since shifted away from football.
In June, Ugle‑Hagan publicly revealed he had checked himself into a health retreat in northern New South Wales.
He told the Rip Through It podcast with former footy stars Mitch Robinson and Rhys Mathieson: ‘All the noises actually sent me to a rehab facility for my mental health.
‘It got to a point where I had to give my car to a mate so I couldn’t drive – I just didn’t trust myself driving.
‘There were times when I would think about – to be honest with you – just not even worth even living.
‘I went through a struggle where I didn’t want to leave the house. I hit rock bottom and found basement… Definitely [there were suicidal thoughts]. Suicidal thoughts would come pretty frequently.
He admitted he lost his love for the game, and also explained how he filled that void.
‘When you are down you want to keep finding an upper. My upper was probably staying and hanging out with my mates and getting on the piss, and training with them as well,’ he said.
‘But it just had no end goal, I didn’t have a game. I didn’t have anything. My mental health wasn’t in the right space… and I found it really tough to even enjoy football.’
AFL fans are not only questioning whether Ugle-Hagan will return to the Bulldogs, but whether he will ever play footy again
The long absence and wild speculation about his future has put the Bulldogs star on the edge of AFL redemption – or oblivion
Fans have been split on how to react. Some accept his mental health struggles as genuine and serious. Others see them as an excuse for lack of professionalism.
Meanwhile, his ex’s cryptic posts continue to be dredged up each time Ugle‑Hagan posts on social media, which many fans interpret as arrogance.
‘He’s at the pub while the boys are playing, posting like he’s on holidays. And we’re meant to believe footy’s still his passion?’ one wrote.
Ugle‑Hagan, who has indicated his love for the game has returned since his stay at the retreat, now says he wants to return and, ultimately, win a flag with the Bulldogs.
‘I’m obviously still contracted with the Doggies and I still want to play for them, and I want to win a flag,’ he said.
‘They have given me opportunities since day dot, so why can’t I get back?’
But he admits the thought of walking back into the club fills him with anxiety.
He’s now back training with the Bulldogs. No one knows if he’ll play again this year.
Fans are watching closely, and judging harshly.
Right now, Ugle‑Hagan is 23, talented, and at the most dangerous point in his career.
The goodwill that once surrounded him has evaporated. Every missed game, every social media post, every rumour will be pored over and argued about online.
If he can prove the doubters wrong and reclaim his career, it will be one of the AFL’s great redemption arcs.
If not, the forums will have their final say – and the verdict won’t be kind.
