Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

[doggies ftw]

If we're assuming that Marra will be training 100% (if not 110%) from now on and it's just a match fitness issue...

Could we see him as soon as Gather Round? There is 2 months between now and then... I have literally no idea how long it takes for someone to get "match fit".

Yeah I don’t see why he couldn’t play round 1 to be honest, he’s been fit and healthy and training every day - I don’t see why he couldn’t get himself match fit in a month. I mean Naughty has probably had even less of a preseason than he has to this point and players regularly miss months of preseason but get up to speed in a couple of weeks

It really just depends on what he’s actually been doing I suppose, we know he’s been boxing every day but has he been following a set plan from the club including bulk running? You’d think/hope so but we don’t really know from the outside.

[GVGjr]

Yeah I don’t see why he couldn’t play round 1 to be honest, he’s been fit and healthy and training every day - I don’t see why he couldn’t get himself match fit in a month. I mean Naughty has probably had even less of a preseason than he has to this point and players regularly miss months of preseason but get up to speed in a couple of weeks

It really just depends on what he’s actually been doing I suppose, we know he’s been boxing every day but has he been following a set plan from the club including bulk running? You’d think/hope so but we don’t really know from the outside.

There are plenty of reasons why that would be a really bad call.
He just hasn't done the work that all of his other team mates have and if we in any way value selection integrity then he needs to do a block of uninterrupted work and regularly attend sessions.
Hearing that he was a bit surprised and disappointed that the club wouldn't allow him to play in the All-Stars game to me highlights he is still not quite getting it.
We made the wrong call with his EF selection and we shouldn't make more exceptions.
I'm really happy for him and it was a great step forward today but we need to see a lot more.

[jazzadogs]

There are plenty of reasons why that would be a really bad call.
He just hasn't done the work that all of his other team mates have and if we in any way value selection integrity then he needs to do a block of uninterrupted work and regularly attend sessions.
Hearing that he was a bit surprised and disappointed that the club wouldn't allow him to play in the All-Stars game to me highlights he is still not quite getting it.
We made the wrong call with his EF selection and we shouldn't make more exceptions.
I'm really happy for him and it was a great step forward today but we need to see a lot more.

If he completes all the work between now and round one, I wouldn't really have a problem with him playing.
Certainly, there is no reason that Gather Round (Round 5, April 12) which is two months away, should be set in concrete as the earliest he can return, unless there is some silent club-imposed suspension.

[GVGjr]

If he completes all the work between now and round one, I wouldn't really have a problem with him playing.
Certainly, there is no reason that Gather Round (Round 5, April 12) which is two months away, should be set in concrete as the earliest he can return, unless there is some silent club-imposed suspension.

That makes sense but R1 is an early call.
While he might not agree with it, and I assume most fans won't either, he needs to do something close to 8 weeks of full sessions.
If he completes them without any hiccups then he's straight back into the team.
I'm optimistically cautious though. Today was a nice step forward but he's going to need to bank some more.

[Bornadog]

That makes sense but R1 is an early call.
While he might not agree with it, and I assume most fans won't either, he needs to do something close to 8 weeks of full sessions.
If he completes them without any hiccups then he's straight back into the team.
I'm optimistically cautious though. Today was a nice step forward but he's going to need to bank some more.

How did you come up with 8 weeks? Is that something the club has said?

[GVGjr]

How did you come up with 8 weeks? Is that something the club has said?

Based on seeing training sessions over 3 years and how players recover from set-backs and delays.
Players like Treloar need to block of 5, more inexperienced players need 6 or more.
Marra has missed a lot of sessions on the track, meetings with his other forwards and even the training camp away.
If he does it in 6 then great but a lot of his team mates have got through close to 4 months hard slog on the track and have attended all meetings etc.

[hujsh]

Guessing the decision to not let him play in the all-stars game was where his 'not really sure what's happening' comment came from.

[mighty_west]

He couldn't be serious asking to play the All Stars game surely? It would have been a no win situation for the club whichever decision we made (might the correct call obviously), had he got out there and injured himself we would have looked like complete mugs allowing him to play, to many we look like mugs NOT allowing him to play, plus the setback of injury on top of no real pre season with team mates behind him could have set him back months.

[doggies ftw]

There are plenty of reasons why that would be a really bad call.
He just hasn't done the work that all of his other team mates have and if we in any way value selection integrity then he needs to do a block of uninterrupted work and regularly attend sessions.
Hearing that he was a bit surprised and disappointed that the club wouldn't allow him to play in the All-Stars game to me highlights he is still not quite getting it.
We made the wrong call with his EF selection and we shouldn't make more exceptions.
I'm really happy for him and it was a great step forward today but we need to see a lot more.

Well it really depends on why he’s out then? If it’s a club imposed ban for off field behaviour than I absolutely agree, he’ll need to do his ‘time’. If it was more along the lines of family tragedy etc and needing time away from the club then I don’t think there’s going to be any concerns around “election integrity”

We supposedly dont know the above, so I’m talking in purely match fitness terms he could easily be ready to go in a month with two practise games under his belt - if he’s been on a club sanctioned program as you’d expect

I also wouldn’t be reading into anything from the crappy article about him being upset he couldn’t play in the indigenous game, sounds like media bullshit IMO

[GVGjr]

Well it really depends on why he’s out then? If it’s a club imposed ban for off field behaviour than I absolutely agree, he’ll need to do his ‘time’. If it was more along the lines of family tragedy etc and needing time away from the club then I don’t think there’s going to be any concerns around “election integrity”

We supposedly dont know the above, so I’m talking in purely match fitness terms he could easily be ready to go in a month with two practise games under his belt - if he’s been on a club sanctioned program as you’d expect

I also wouldn’t be reading into anything from the crappy article about him being upset he couldn’t play in the indigenous game, sounds like media bullshit IMO

I'm not so sure that the media weren't fed that information by the club today. It was the journos that were there today that mentioned it. Edmund was on the phone with Whateley straight after he left. They all appear to be singing the same theme song.
I get that journos can get a bit creative at times but that is more when they are trying to build a story that has many missing parts. Today wasn't that day for therm.

Here is what Edmund said

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s desperation to return to the game saw him ask the Western Bulldogs if he could play for the Indigenous All-Stars.

There was frustration and disappointment when that request was denied by the Dogs before both parties found a compromise, with the player fulfilling an off-field role in Perth last weekend.

Ugle-Hagan today returned to training after a turbulent pre-season in which he has rarely been available, joining teammates for a solid session on Whitten Oval.

But the forward’s renewed desire to return to action will be met with caution by the Dogs hierarchy.

Ugle-Hagan strung a couple of pre-season sessions together early in the program, but has scarcely trained with teammates since.

While the match fitness and touch will undoubtedly return in the weeks to come, Ugle-Hagan will also need to “do the time” among a playing group that has completed an arduous pre-season together.

The widespread support for Ugle-Hagan is countered by the belief among club decision-makers that quickly dropping him back into the Bulldogs’ best 22 won’t bode well for team harmony.

The 22-year-old stands as one of the most exciting forwards in the game, with the former No.1 draft pick kicking 43.35 last year.

His eventual return will be a big boost for a club hit hard by injury over the summer months, with Adam Treloar (calf), Liam Jones (hamstring) and Jason Johannisen (hamstring) all sidelined long-term.

Then this from Sam McClure

He trained hard and took part in the full session, including match simulation, on Wednesday but the 22-year-old looked a far cry from the emerging star forward the game has witnessed in recent seasons.

The vast majority of the other 40-odd players on the Bulldogs’ list have endured a full pre-season and club officials are not shying away from that.

They are adamant that Ugle-Hagan will have to do his own mini pre-season before being considered for VFL selection.

Coaching staff said the club wouldn’t risk the integrity of selection by bringing him back too soon, before he had earned his spot.

Given pre-season for the rest of his teammates started back in November, it’s more likely Ugle-Hagan’s return to the AFL team will be closer to the middle of the season than the start of it.

The club is also waiting to see how consistently he trains from here on. Club officials were still unsure early on Wednesday if the star forward would train with the group later that morning.

The Bulldogs have their photo day at club headquarters on Thursday. The club is not yet able to confirm if Ugle-Hagan will attend. It’s a complex situation.

While he has trained twice with the VFL team and has been taking part in personal training sessions at a private gym in Hawthorn, Wednesday was the first time since early January that he had trained fully with the senior team.
He took part in skills drills early in the session and then played in match simulation drills towards the end.

[Bornadog]

Hugs and smiles as Bulldogs welcome Ugle-Hagan back to the Kennel

For the first time in over a month, Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan trained fully with the club’s senior team on Wednesday.

Even if he didn’t move at his best – which he didn’t – the very notion of the smooth-moving, high-flying, left-footed goal kicker embracing his forward teammate Aaron Naughton was a sight for sore eyes for anyone who supports the red, white and blue.

Indeed, a fit and firing Jamarra is something all football fans want to see.

But there is a long road ahead.

High-ranking Western Bulldogs officials were quick to hose down any excitement of an early season return for Ugle-Hagan, who has barely been sighted at the club since the turn of the year as he continues to deal with personal problems. He enjoyed the experience of being part of the Indigenous All Stars squad in Perth at the weekend and has told people close to him that he hopes to return to playing as quickly as possible.

“Definitely had my ups and downs with family loss, and then I struggled with that and the balance of training,” Ugle-Hagan told Seven last week.

“I’ve just stayed home, trained on my own and just trying to keep busy with my training and get on top of that,” Ugle-Hagan said. “Psychologist stuff, which is, I don’t know, it’s a bit difficult, but right now I’m just enjoying my footy and training hard.”

He trained hard and took part in the full session, including match simulation, on Wednesday but the 22-year-old looked a far cry from the emerging star forward the game has witnessed in recent seasons.

The vast majority of the other 40-odd players on the Bulldogs’ list have endured a full pre-season and club officials are not shying away from that.

They are adamant that Ugle-Hagan will have to do his own mini pre-season before being considered for VFL selection.

Coaching staff said the club wouldn’t risk the integrity of selection by bringing him back too soon, before he had earned his spot.

Given pre-season for the rest of his teammates started back in November, it’s more likely Ugle-Hagan’s return to the AFL team will be closer to the middle of the season than the start of it



The club is also waiting to see how consistently he trains from here on. Club officials were still unsure early on Wednesday if the star forward would train with the group later that morning.

The Bulldogs have their photo day at club headquarters on Thursday. The club is not yet able to confirm if Ugle-Hagan will attend. It’s a complex situation.

While he has trained twice with the VFL team and has been taking part in personal training sessions at a private gym in Hawthorn, Wednesday was the first time since early January that he had trained fully with the senior team.
He took part in skills drills early in the session and then played in match simulation drills towards the end.

The Dogs face North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium in round one, before hosting the Magpies in a Friday night blockbuster at the MCG the following week.

[DISHLICKERS]

Seems to me there is one person that can sort this mess out and dictate it’s ending and that’s JUH.

seems to me he has to get back the trust from the playing group, coaches and club as a whole.

over to you JUH

[Mofra]

Imagine the outcry if we let an underdone Marra play in the All Stars have and he did a hammy.

Regardless of where his training is at, I'd be happy to see him travel with the team for gather round even if he hasn't made selection by then.

[Axe Man]

Arty travelled over for Gather Round last year even though he wasn't part of the squad.

[GVGjr]

Imagine the outcry if we let an underdone Marra play in the All Stars have and he did a hammy.

Regardless of where his training is at, I'd be happy to see him travel with the team for gather round even if he hasn't made selection by then.

The club couldn't have responsibly allowed him to play because of the risk of injury. That gather round time frame seems about right providing he's doing all the work.

[GVGjr]

Sam McClure has opened up the conversation again on Footy Classified.
I don't get the motivation and the timing of this.