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Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy's most troubled young player takes shock step to save his career
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has taken a positive step in his return to playing professional football, with the Western Bulldogs star reportedly admitting himself to a health retreat. In April, it was announced that the 23-year-old forward would be taking an indefinite leave from the club to address personal issues. He has not played this season and has been seen sporadically at training, with there being no confirmed time-frame on when the 2020 No 1 draft pick could return to the club. But in the latest update to the ongoing saga, Ugle-Hagan has travelled north to check himself into a health retreat, according to The Herald Sun. There is hope that the move can help him reignite his AFL career, with Ugle-Hagan also keen to get things back on track, following his stunning 2024 season, in which he booted 43 goals to be crowned the Bulldogs' leading goalkicker for the campaign. The outlet has also revealed that some of his team-mates are happy that the 23-year-old, who was recently seen watching the RUNIT Championships in Melbourne, has travelled away from Victoria to participate in the retreat. 'The Dogs and league officials are adamant Ugle-Hagan needs to prioritise his health before he can return to the club,' the outlet adds. It is not certain when Ugle-Hagan will return to Melbourne. Ugle-Hagan has faced backlash in recent months over his activity on social media. Some former pros had criticised his behaviour, including Nick Riewoldt, who had pointed to pictures of Ugle-Hagan posted on social media showing him partying out with friends, before claiming the Bulldogs should move on without him. 'There can be real reasons, legitimate reasons, but when you're behaving the way that Jamarra is you forfeit all rights,' Riewoldt said to Triple M's Mick in the Morning, adding the 'balance of power has moved too far in the player's favour.' He added: 'It is difficult to talk about because there is mental health at play here, but clubs should have some sort of discretion to be able to recoup some of that money. 'It feels like players can essentially take the p**s.' He went on to express more sympathy to Ugle-Hagan's club over the matter, but the footy star clapped back at the St Kilda great. "I think it's clear for the Western Bulldogs now ... you don't need Jamarra." Nick Riewoldt on the Ugle-Hagan situation at Whitten Oval 👇 — 7AFL (@7AFL) April 7, 2025 Ugle-Hagan (right) shared this image out with friends in the latest bad look for the Western Bulldogs star who has yet to play for the club this year No timeframe has been set on Ugle-Hagan's return (right, pictured with Tim Tszyu) but there is hope among those close to the situation that this is a positive step in his return to action Ugle-Hagan changed his Instagram profile picture to an image of Riewoldt from when the Channel 7 pundit was embroiled in a nude photo scandal back in 2010. But after confirming the 23-year-old star could take an indefinite break from footy, the club issued their full support to Ugle-Hagan. 'Jamarra's health and wellbeing remains the absolute priority, and he will be given whatever time he needs,' Sam Power said during a club statement at the end of April. 'We will continue to support Jamarra throughout this period.' It had been expected that the Bulldogs could look to trade the footy star later this year but that would only take place should they receive a reasonable offer of renumeration. At the beginning of May, super agent Paul Connors had also delivered an insight into how Ugle-Hagan was progressing on his return to play. 'I think there's been so much commentary around Jamarra that unless you're in the inner sanctum, you won't be privy to everything that we're privy to,' Connors told SEN 1116. 'I'd like to say that we're really proud of where Jamarra's heading. As a company and as individuals, we've really supported and so have many people. 'I believe he's heading in the right direction but hopefully he'll be back on track, not in the very near future, but soon.'
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy super agent delivers update on troubled footy star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan after Western Bulldogs forward took a swipe at Nick Riewoldt
Footy super agent Paul Connors has delivered an insight into how Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is progressing, as the troubled Western Bulldogs star works through multiple personal issues. Ugle-Hagan, 23, has made sporadic appearances at training for the Bulldogs in the past five months and has not featured for the Dogs at all this season. Last week, Luke Beveridges' side announced that the No 1 draft pick - who was the club's leading goal scorer last season - would be taking an extended leave of absence to deal with the matter. 'I think there's been so much commentary around Jamarra that unless you're in the inner sanctum you won't be privy to everything that we're privy too,' Connors told SEN 1116. 'I'd like to say that we're really proud of where Jamarra's heading. As a company and as individuals, we've really supported and so have many people. 'I believe he's heading in the right direction but hopefully he'll be back on track, not in the very near future but soon.' Paul Connors speaks on Jamarra Ugle-Hagan's current situation. #AFL — SEN 1116 (@1116sen) May 4, 2025 Sports agent Paul Connors (pictured) has opened up on how Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has been progressing Connors is the founder of Connors Sports Management, a leading player agency firm that represents a raft of top players including, Bailey Smith, Nick Daicos and Ugle-Hagan. Ugle-Hagan has copped flack in recent weeks for some images he has published on his social media accounts that appear to show him out drinking and partying with friends. Last week he was seen at the RUNIT Championships in Melbourne, watching George Burgess and Nemani Nadolo compete as part of the event. Asked about how players handle the pressures and expectations around social media in the modern age of footy, Connors said: 'I think social media is hard, isn't it. 'I think it is exasperating the mental health challenges that individuals have. 'But it's not just immune to AFL players, it's young kids and adolescents across the world.' Last week, Ugle-Hagan was involved in a spat with Nick Riewoldt after the St Kilda great criticised the Dogs forward over the ongoing situation. 'I'm big on this; I think the balance of power has moved too far in the player's favour and you end up with a situation like this,' Riewoldt said Triple M's Mick in the Morning. 'It is difficult to talk about because there is mental health at play here, but clubs should have some sort of discretion to be able to recoup some of that money. 'It feels like players can essentially take the p***. There are all types of rumours and innuendo out there as to whether he is tanking – and we don't need to get into all the various (rumoured) situations – but it's hard to see him playing footy again for the Dogs this year.' The 23-year-old subsequently changed his Instagram display picture to a photograph of Riewoldt wearing no clothes following the nude photo scandal back in 2010. Reflecting on the situation with Riewoldt in the past week, Connors opened up on how AFL player managers work with their stars when it comes to social media. 'Taking Jamarra out of it, whether it's Bailey Smith, Patrick Dangerfield - they've got to have their own brand and their own social media,' Connors explained. 'You wouldn't want to just run it for someone but you can give them [advice]. 'There's a number of AFL players that we've managed over the years that we'd say, hey that's probably not right Instagram story or that's not the right brand that you're trying to promote.'
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Troubled footy star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan takes a swipe at AFL great on social media after he slammed stars for 'taking the p**s' over mental health
Troubled star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has lashed out at one of his biggest critics, Nick Riewoldt, on social media. The former No 1 draft pick has not played a game so far in 2025 and there is no indication if he will return this season with the Western Bulldogs announcing this week that he is set to take a leave of absence to deal with personal issues. While the 23-year-old has sporadically appeared at training over the past few months, he has been criticised by some for publishing pictures online of himself out partying with friends. On Wednesday, he was also pictured in Melbourne attending the RUNIT Championships, which saw George Burgess and Nemani Nadolo go head-to-head. Riewoldt has been critical of the young star in recent months claiming that the 'balance of power has moved too far in the player's favour' particularly when it comes to matters relating to mental health. The St Kilda great implored the Bulldogs to remove him from their list. 'There can be real reasons, legitimate reasons, but when you're behaving the way that Jamarra is you forfeit all rights,' Riewoldt said to Triple M's Mick in the Morning. He added: 'It is difficult to talk about because there is mental health at play here, but clubs should have some sort of discretion to be able to recoup some of that money. 'It feels like players can essentially take the p**s.' Ugle-Hagan, on Thursday, shot a barb back at Riewoldt by changing his Instagram display picture to an image of Riewoldt that appeared the St Kilda great was embroiled in a naked photo scandal in 2010. Riewoldt, meanwhile, had also expressed sympathies for the Bulldogs who appear to continue to pay Ugle-Hagan's contract despite the star not playing. 'They had no real line of sight on when he was going to come; it was basically just lucky dip. That's distracting. 'I think the straw that broke the camel's back was when the group went to Adelaide for Gather Round – he had been training for a couple of weeks prior to that - there was a compulsory session for the players that didn't go on the Saturday morning, he didn't show up for it. 'He is on full pay at the moment. He has been paid and will continue to be paid somewhere between $800,000 – $900,000 for this year.' Ugle-Hagan, the Bulldogs' leading goalkicker for 2024 had taken some time away from the sport at the beginning of last season to deal with a few personal matters. He would later split from his influencer girlfriend Olivia Kelly while team-mates reportedly began to grow concerned over his off-field conduct. Luke Beveridge also had spoken with his coaching panel about dropping the 23-year-old ahead of his side's elimination final against Hawthorn. The situation had been heightened after Ugle-Hagan had posted pictures of himself partying on social media, yet the Doggies are standing by their man and earlier this week said they would be providing him with their full support. 'Jamarra's health and wellbeing remains the absolute priority and he will be given whatever time he needs,' football executive manager Sam Power said when announcing that the forward would be taking a leave of absence. 'We will continue to support Jamarra throughout this period.'
