Where does Jamarra Play in 2023

[GVGjr]

I think we were forced to play Bruce to some extent as that weekend our VFL team had a bye and his progress would have been stifled. It must have been a hard decision for the MC.

We had Schache in good form late in the season, did we bypassed form and go for the name?
We also had the chance to acknowledge that Bruce wasn't ready and drop him earlier and we didn't to that either.
I'm still convinced we botched his return and I'm hoping Bruce can get back to some decent for next year.

[Mantis]

To be honest unless we are planning to play Bruce as a defender he should start the season in the forward line along with Lobb and Naughton and the onus would be Marra to take his spot.

I can't for the life of me see how you can play Bruce & Lobb in the same forwardline... it's just a recipe for disaster.

For me Bruce is a long way back and is going to have to present in amazing shape and perform exceptionally well in the pre-season to earn a spot in our best 22.

[GVGjr]

I can't for the life of me see how you can play Bruce & Lobb in the same forwardline... it's just a recipe for disaster.

For me Bruce is a long way back and is going to have to present in amazing shape and perform exceptionally well in the pre-season to earn a spot in our best 22.

I'm assuming he will be fit because his mobility wasn't really the issue when he returned late in the season and it was more about his timing. Bruce returning this year was always going to be risky and for some reason we were stubbornly reluctant to drop him once we brought him in.
Why do you think a Bruce and Lobb combination is much different to a Marra and Lobb pairing?

[Happy Days]

I would want to see some significant improvement in Bruce’s mobility and self-confidence in pre season games before I’d even be ready to consider him for a spot anywhere on the field.

I don’t think that from his 2022 form we can ever count on Bruce to be a consistent contributor again, and need to think of anything we get from him as all profit. An ACL is a bad injury but is also not a death sentence, and he looked as bad as anyone ever has returning from one.

[Mantis]

I'm assuming he will be fit because his mobility wasn't really the issue when he returned late in the season and it was more about his timing. Bruce returning this year was always going to be risky and for some reason we were stubbornly reluctant to drop him once we brought him in.
Why do you think a Bruce and Lobb combination is much different to a Marra and Lobb pairing?

Marra has much better ground skills, mobility and defensive skills compared to both Lobb and Bruce who are both very reliant on marking the ball to gain their possessions.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Marra has much better ground skills, mobility and defensive skills compared to both Lobb and Bruce who are both very reliant on marking the ball to gain their possessions.

Things change quickly, don't they? A little over a year ago prior to injury, Bruce was closing in on 50 for the season and was one of the better key forwards in the game at a top 2 performing team.

Since that Essendon game the injury happened, he's effectively two years older, Marra has developed and we've recruited Lobb.

I'm a big fan of Juice, he's a great character and it's clear he is really popular amongst the group. The injury was horrific for him and for us.

If this was the NBA, he probably would have been moved on because providing he gets back to some good form, he's good enough to be playing every week in the AFL. Unfortunately for him, he might do that at our club and still not get picked on the balance of our side. Naughton is a mainstay, Lobb was recruited for a reason and offers ruck support, meaning he's competing against Marra and as much as we like to pretend form is everything, the reality is that unless he's absolutely terrible it's very unlikely Marra gets dropped.

[bornadog]

However, we can't play Lobb, Bruce, Naughton and Marra all at once in the forward line.

[FrediKanoute]

Marra has much better ground skills, mobility and defensive skills compared to both Lobb and Bruce who are both very reliant on marking the ball to gain their possessions.

I think we stop looking at Marra as a key position forward and start looking at him as a high half forward with aerial ability. He is a Nicky Winmar clone more than a Buddy Franklin type player

[Jasper]

I think we stop looking at Marra as a key position forward and start looking at him as a high half forward with aerial ability. He is a Nicky Winmar clone more than a Buddy Franklin type player

I like the comparison but he isn't anywhere near Winmar with his ability to glide around the ground and if he had that ability we could play 4 talls at times. Its going to be fascinating to see if Marra can remain grounded off field so that he can reach his potential on it.

[Mantis]

I think we stop looking at Marra as a key position forward and start looking at him as a high half forward with aerial ability. He is a Nicky Winmar clone more than a Buddy Franklin type player

I don't get this comparison at all... like it's one of the strangest comparisons I've seen listed on here.

Nicky Winmar was an aerobic beast, had unbelievable kicking skills and presence in the air.... Marra is very similar to Buddy in playing sense, but is stronger in the air. A long way to go to go to see if he can match the unbelievable feats of Buddy, but he has similar traits.

[Axe Man]

THE STAR CAT UGLE-HAGAN SHOULD LOOK TO EMULATE

Is Jeremy Cameron the perfect prototype for what Jamarra Ugle-Hagan could one day become?

Since being taken with pick one in the 2020 National Draft, Ugle-Hagan has endured an inconsistent start to his time at the Western Bulldogs.

However, as a young key forward, Ugle-Hagan’s up-and-down career to date hasn’t been a surprise. Late in 2022, the 20-year-old locked in a best 22 spot in Luke Beveridge’s side with 10 goals from rounds 18-20, including a five-goal, five-inside 50s performance against Melbourne.

It was an indicator of the young gun’s potential, and a booming goal from outside 50 to seal the game for the Dogs reminded fans of Geelong star Cameron.

With Rory Lobb coming to Whitten Oval in the off-season, AFL analyst David King questioned if Ugle-Hagan could see a role change in line with what Cameron plays at the Cats.

“Jeremy Cameron is the finished product, Jamarra is nowhere near the finished product, but I wonder if that’s the player he’s going to become,” King began on SEN Breakfast.

“Up the field more, not out of the goal square, and being so creative by foot kicking the ball inside forward 50 to the advantage of his teammates and maybe getting a bit more ball, rather than having to win everything in a contest… I think that you’ll see more of that for him.”

AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich, who spent a week of pre-season at the Dogs’ Portsea training camp, suggested Lobb’s recruitment was set to have a big impact on Ugle-Hagan and fellow key forward Aaron Naughton.

“I think we’ll see Aaron Naughton and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (improve) - speaking to a lot of people around the club over the last couple of days - the benefit of Rory Lobb isn’t just what he brings in terms of his output, but what he does for Naughton and Ugle-Hagan,” Gabelich told SEN last week.

“I spoke with Naughton and he was just raving about Rory Lobb and what he’s brought to that forward line.

“I just think you’ll see it in those two because they’re still quite young, Naughton especially and Ugle-Hagan, I think Naughton will bring plenty.”

Ugle-Hagan suggested after the 2022 season that he didn’t enjoy his footy for a period of time, but found a better headspace towards the end of the season.

Beveridge famously didn’t debut the key forward until Round 17 in his debut season, with the pressure increasing on Ugle-Hagan the longer his first game was on hold.

But the Dogs appear set to reap the rewards after a pre-season that has continued the momentum from his finish to the season last year.

“I’m out there having fun and enjoying my footy again,” Ugle-Hagan told the club’s website in November last year.

“I found it a bit hard last year to find the fun in football – I was expecting way too much from myself as a player.

“Coming into a top-two team (as the number one draft pick) I didn’t expect to play straight away, but that was hard to realise at the time.”

Ugle-Hagan kicked 18.16 last year as the Bulldogs crawled into finals, with the club hoping a rejuvenated forward line and Liam Jones’ recruitment sees a return to form.

[1eyedog]

Let's look at it again after three more preseasons. No way he is effective in the Cameron role over the next few years he'd blow up halfway through the second quarter atm. Also, he's the only bloke other than Weightman who really understands how to play in the forwardline. Naughts is a freak but is an unconventionial forward who does whatever he wants and Lobb is tall and ok but Jamarra knows how to find space, times his leads well and is an accurate kick.

He's been earmarked to play the deep, lead up Josh Bruce role and that's where I feel he'll provide the most value this year at least.

[1eyedog]

*edit. Bevo will probably play him off a back flank.

[Axe Man]

Let's look at it again after three more preseasons. No way he is effective in the Cameron role over the next few years he'd blow up halfway through the second quarter atm. Also, he's the only bloke other than Weightman who really understands how to play in the forwardline. Naughts is a freak but is an unconventionial forward who does whatever he wants and Lobb is tall and ok but Jamarra knows how to find space, times his leads well and is an accurate kick.

He's been earmarked to play the deep, lead up Josh Bruce role and that's where I feel he'll provide the most value this year at least.

He is not an accurate kick, his goal kicking has been well below league average. He has the technique to be an accurate kick, hopefully he improves.

Perhaps in short bursts he can roam up the ground a bit, especially if he's not getting on the end of much deeper forward? I agree with the idea from King as contested marking is not a strength. Get him up the ground and involved in the play more, even if only for a 5 minute burst here and there until he builds his tank some more.

[1eyedog]

He is not an accurate kick, his goal kicking has been well below league average. He has the technique to be an accurate kick, hopefully he improves.

Perhaps in short bursts he can roam up the ground a bit, especially if he's not getting on the end of much deeper forward? I agree with the idea from King as contested marking is not a strength. Get him up the ground and involved in the play more, even if only for a 5 minute burst here and there until he builds his tank some more.

If he keeps kicking the way he is his numbers will still be better than McKay and King and on par with Naughton.

He's young and kicks under fatigue but I think you're right when he's not so gassed I think he'll be an accurate shot on goal.