Mr September? How Ugle-Hagan can be like Buddy

[bornadog]

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Jamarra Ugle-Hagan grew up idolising Lance Franklin. On Friday night, the No.1 draft pick gets the chance to emulate his childhood hero by stamping himself on the big stage.

If the Western Bulldogs are to progress deep into the finals, Ugle-Hagan and another rising star in Sam Darcy must play significant roles. It is a lot to place on the still-broadening shoulders of young players, but reputations are made in September.

The peerless Franklin came of age in his finals debut as a 20-year-old in just his third season. He booted eight goals, including a famous winner from long range, as Hawthorn sunk Adelaide in 2007.

Ugle-Hagan had little impact in his first final, but that came in just his second year when he was a young pup still learning how to match it against the big dogs.

Two years on, the 22-year-old has not only proven he can be a home-and-away game-breaker but also narrowed the gap between his best and worst. His four goals and nine coaches? votes against All-Australian full-back Jacob Weitering in round 19 showed he can beat the best.

Hawthorn?s weakest third is their defence, a point they have acknowledged by their interest in Tom Barrass from West Coast and Josh Battle from St Kilda.

And the Dogs have a major point of difference to their seven September rivals in that they have three genuine marking threats inside their forward 50: Ugle-Hagan, Darcy and Aaron Naughton, the most senior of the trio at 24.

Worryingly for Hawthorn, who will be relying on James Sicily, Sam Frost and Jack Scrimshaw to play as undersized backs, Darcy and Ugle-Hagan rank equal second and eighth respectively for contested marks this season.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is not asking for Ugle-Hagan and Darcy to be the match winners. He would happily settle for the pair to keep the Hawthorn defence honest and prevent Sam Mitchell?s band of fleet-footed runners from cutting them apart off half-back.

?Number one on defensive aggregate, those big forwards, believe it or not, it?s quite critical to that aspect of the game as well, and part of that is just competing in the air and controlling the ball at ground level and making sure that if the opposition get out that they?re under a bit of pressure,? Beveridge said.

?We?ll nudge them to make sure that?s a priority in their game. And hopefully, they get some spoils, hopefully they hit the scoreboard, and hopefully they create a few others.?

Like Franklin, who fed off the energy from the crowd, Ugle-Hagan enjoys the interaction with the fans.

?Hopefully, it energises everyone,? Beveridge said. ?I?m talking about priorities, but the flashy things and the fancy things, the roses on the trees, you know that they?ll happen if all the other stuff is taken care of. Marra knows that.

?He?s a hard body, Jamarra. His contest work, he commits, he knocks them over, and he?s strong in what he does. That?ll be his starting point.?

The Dogs were given a boost with star midfielder Adam Treloar getting through training showing no signs of the calf niggle from round 24.

Speedster Laitham Vandermeer (hamstring) also completed training, as did Rhylee West, who will push hard for a recall from a fractured jaw, though Beveridge foreshadowed minimal changes to the side that booked a finals berth with victory over Greater Western Sydney.

[macca]

JUH just has to keep doing the same things that got us to September. The most important thing that needs to improve is his kicking . Sort that out across the team and we are a more than a chance to win.

I reckon Darcy is going to play a big part. Is a fantastic mark and his aggression is what makes finals pressure.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

JUH just has to keep doing the same things that got us to September. The most important thing that needs to improve is his kicking . Sort that out across the team and we are a more than a chance to win.

I reckon Darcy is going to play a big part. Is a fantastic mark and his aggression is what makes finals pressure.

Darcy is made for finals. He eats up these pressure atmospheres.

[mighty_west]

I see Marra and Darcy as our Buddy and Roughead, plus throw Naughton in there too, hopefully we can do to them what they did to us in 2008, marking the ball at the highest point is huge, all 3 can do that especially Darcy.

[JanLorMill]

Mr Pre Season atm

[bulldogtragic]

Great he’s getting a million a season. Sprays team mates more than kicks goals. He’s unserious a footballer with his goal kicking for which he’s paid excessively. Can’t wait to hear all off season how he’s flying and doing extra sessions to shank easy shots and kill us again.

[GVGjr]

Great he’s getting a million a season. Sprays team mates more than kicks goals. He’s unserious a footballer with his goal kicking for which he’s paid excessively. Can’t wait to hear all off season how he’s flying and doing extra sessions to shank easy shots and kill us again.

I get the frustrations and I often mentioned that I struggle with laconic types but I doubt he's on a million yet.
We have problems with our forward set-up that despite some very high scoring games throughout the season hasn't been sorted out.
Marra might be part of the problem but Naughton and Weightman haven't quite lived up to their abilities either.

[bulldogtragic]

I get the frustrations and I often mentioned that I struggle with laconic types but I doubt he's on a million yet.
We have problems with our forward set-up that despite some very high scoring games throughout the season hasn't been sorted out.
Marra might be part of the problem but Naughton and Weightman haven't quite lived up to their abilities either.

I understand he’s on $1M with his re-signing. Just seems unserious.

[macca]

In the last 5 mins of 4th quarter, the ball was being moved down the wing. JUH was keeping behind Weddle and he failed to charge forward to lead. There is something not right about his body language. Does he want the ball, or expect his mates to pin point kick it to him under pressure? The hawks were never going to give us that freedom.

Really disappointing game tonight.

He needs to spend the preseason working out his kicking action and get a routine. That missed shot tonight was disappointing.

[comrade]

Marra isn?t fit to tie Buddy?s shoe laces, let?s be honest.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Huge step back tonight. The type that could haunt him, as the 21 GF did for many that day.

[jeemak]

Marra isn?t fit to tie Buddy?s shoe laces, let?s be honest.

Yeah, but they're both tall indigenous men who don't play anything like each other so you can see why there's the constant comparison between the two, right?

Marra needs to get out of his own head. He also needs to kick the bloody thing with some conviction. If you're going to miss at least miss putting it through with some intent, not the meek and timid shit we see with him from twenty-five metres out all the time. Kick the bloody thing.

[comrade]

I don?t know why he doesn?t just kick it around the corner within 30m. He?s so much better at that, his action falls apart when kicking over the mark at shorter distances.

[jazzadogs]

His positioning (well, all of our tall forwards) was really poor tonight. Often lead under the ball, or lead with such a lack of intensity that he was easily pushed off the ball.

About as disappointed as I've ever been in him tonight.

[Bullies]

Huge step back tonight. The type that could haunt him, as the 21 GF did for many that day.

His body language is dreadful. He berates team mates, has no second effort and appears disinterested. I watched him closely tonight and he made absolutely no effort to get himself into the game. So disappointing for someone on the big coin.