Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

[Willow18]

Interesting point that TAC, I think unfortunately I won’t be able to help myself, I hope the JUH move fails and he’s out the league in 2 years time. Similar to Baz who I only hope negative things for haha

I never felt ill feelings towards Ward, Griffen, Cooney, Dahlhaus or Higgins.

Dunkley I’m meh on.

[Bornadog]

‘We’re not in Victoria’: Ugle-Hagan set to commit to Gold Coast, with behavioural clauses
Sam McClure
BySam McClure

Troubled Western Bulldogs star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is set to rejuvenate his AFL career on the Gold Coast, with the player and senior club officials meeting at the club on Thursday morning as he takes another step towards football redemption.

Ugle-Hagan’s contract, however, will be heavily incentivised and will also include behavioural clauses, which will give the Suns an option to terminate his deal at the club’s discretion, after the player’s year-long battle with well -documented off-field problems.

Competition sources not willing to speak publicly about contract negotiations have confirmed to this masthead that Ugle-Hagan will fly from Melbourne to the Gold Coast on Thursday morning and is booked in for a medical at the club.

Although a trade and a potential payout with the Bulldogs will have to be finalised in the coming days, all parties have agreed that Ugle-Hagan will be a Suns player by the end of the trade period.

Ugle-Hagan’s contract is set to be a heavily incentivised two-year deal, with a minimal amount guaranteed.

The 23-year-old’s playing wage in 2026 will look closer to what he was being paid in his first season after being taken at pick one in the 2020 national draft.

He will, however, have the ability to earn substantially more based on games played, goals kicked and best-and-fairest results.

Suns defender Connor Budarick is expected to join the Bulldogs in the trade period. However, it remains unclear if he will be part of the deal to land Ugle-Hagan.

Ugle-Hagan, who is contracted at the Western Bulldogs for 2026, has more than $900,000 remaining on his contract for next season.

His manager, Robbie D’Orazio, will now negotiate a payout with the Bulldogs, but it remains unclear how much, if any, the Dogs would be willing to pay.


Ugle-Hagan didn’t play a game in 2025 and was able to train only on a handful of occasions, after a spate of off-field issues.

Craig Cameron, Gold Coast’s general manager of talent and player strategy, gave an update on the Suns’ position on Thursday morning.

“We are looking to see someone who is going to make a commitment to get himself back to a position where he can play consistent football,” Cameron said on AFL Trade Radio.

“The No.1 thing is do we think a fit and healthy Jamarra can help us as a footy club?

“He met with our leadership group. He will do a medical with us today, and we need to get the AFL to clear it as well, but we are progressing that.”

Cameron said the Suns had a strong Indigenous cohort, which could potentially assist the move. Ugle-Hagan was at the Indigenous All Stars match against Fremantle in February.

“The Western Bulldogs is a really good football club and nothing I’m about to say is meant to be detrimental …” said Cameron.

“I think the fact we’re not in Victoria, we are out of that football bubble, and away from some of those elements that have probably taken Jamarra away from the path that he should be on, is a good place for him to start to rebuild his footy career.”

More to come

[Topdog]

Negotiate a payout? How about we pay nothing and you just leave?

[hujsh]

Negotiate a payout? How about we pay nothing and you just leave?

Yes, I don't see how that benefits us in any way. Just rip up your contract after the trade if you want to play at GC. Or if we have cap to spare I'd be fine with using it to get a better draft hand

[FrediKanoute]

So what I want to know is why we didn't do somehting like this:

"Ugle-Hagan’s contract, however, will be heavily incentivised and will also include behavioural clauses, which will give the Suns an option to terminate his deal at the club’s discretion, after the player’s year-long battle with well -documented off-field problems."

[hujsh]

So what I want to know is why we didn't do somehting like this:

"Ugle-Hagan’s contract, however, will be heavily incentivised and will also include behavioural clauses, which will give the Suns an option to terminate his deal at the club’s discretion, after the player’s year-long battle with well -documented off-field problems."

Do something like that when? Before he signed an extension or had his off field issues and was looking every bit a number 1 draft pick? Or after he signed it and he had no incentive to change his existing contract?

[GVGjr]

It's not worth wasting a lot of time and effort explaining what will happen with Jamarra but lets say it's an manufactured outcome manipulated by the AFL
With 3 key forwards already at the club and coming off their best ever season coupled with a desire to bring in the high profile Petracca, I wouldn't have thought the troubled Ugle-Hagan was a real priority for the Suns even given his immense talent.

With the number of Indigenous players declining at the senior level the AFL have called in a big favor from the team they keep propping up.
The AFL can't accept that the Dogs could potentially stand out a former #1 pick and high profile Indigenous player in Ugle-Hagan for another season.
We've also seen how much condition he lost in the last couple of months so another 12 months in limbo would likely set him back even further.
He's met with the coaches, a couple of players and done a medical and Harbrow has been identified as a minder for him and it's now at the 'being considered by the board' phase.
The same board that needs to foster a great relationship with the AFL.
I think the AFL is even increasing the number of rookies the GC can have which is both timely and convenient.

My guess is the deal will be struck, we will have him off the books and we will be compensated in some form probably with a trade that includes Budarick.
From the AFL perspective Marra won't be sacked so no damage there and as a high profile Indigenous player he wont be lost to the game.
He will move over to the the Suns and escape a lot of media scrutiny up in the Gold Coast. If any team can cop the heat if this was all to fail it's the Suns.

[Dogs 24/7]

That's a thought provoking insight. There might be a lot in that and I need time to digest it.

[Sedat]

It's not worth wasting a lot of time and effort explaining what will happen with Jamarra but lets say it's an manufactured outcome manipulated by the AFL
With 3 key forwards already at the club and coming off their best ever season coupled with a desire to bring in the high profile Petracca, I wouldn't have thought the troubled Ugle-Hagan was a real priority for the Suns even given his immense talent.

With the number of Indigenous players declining at the senior level the AFL have called in a big favor from the team they keep propping up.
The AFL can't accept that the Dogs could potentially stand out a former #1 pick and high profile Indigenous player in Ugle-Hagan for another season.
We've also seen how much condition he lost in the last couple of months so another 12 months in limbo would likely set him back even further.
He's met with the coaches, a couple of players and done a medical and Harbrow has been identified as a minder for him and it's now at the 'being considered by the board' phase.
The same board that needs to foster a great relationship with the AFL.
I think the AFL is even increasing the number of rookies the GC can have which is both timely and convenient.

My guess is the deal will be struck, we will have him off the books and we will be compensated in some form probably with a trade that includes Budarick.
From the AFL perspective Marra won't be sacked so no damage there and as a high profile Indigenous player he wont be lost to the game.
He will move over to the the Suns and escape a lot of media scrutiny up in the Gold Coast. If any team can cop the heat if this was all to fail it's the Suns.

This is obviously what has happened and in this instance I'm perfectly fine with the AFEL getting involved for the optics - it is an admission by them that we have gone way above and beyond in our support for JUH and everything rests on him for his predicament.

It's a free swing for GC and it also gets a big problem not of our own making off the books. And the AFEL can at least say they have done something to look after a wayward talent. But ultimately you cannot help somebody from themselves.

[1eyedog]

This is obviously what has happened and in this instance I'm perfectly fine with the AFEL getting involved for the optics - it is an admission by them that we have gone way above and beyond in our support for JUH and everything rests on him for his predicament.

It's a free swing for GC and it also gets a big problem not of our own making off the books. And the AFEL can at least say they have done something to look after a wayward talent. But ultimately you cannot help somebody from themselves.

Yes agree we need a professional exit because everything that has transpired in our dealings with Jamarra has been everything but that.

I'm not at all comfortable paying for nothing again next season given we've pissed 900k down the drain this year for zero return. The amount of angst felt by the club, its members and supporters by this absolute shit show has me simply wishing for an equitable separation so we can just move on.

[GVGjr]

This is obviously what has happened and in this instance I'm perfectly fine with the AFEL getting involved for the optics - it is an admission by them that we have gone way above and beyond in our support for JUH and everything rests on him for his predicament.

It's a free swing for GC and it also gets a big problem not of our own making off the books. And the AFEL can at least say they have done something to look after a wayward talent. But ultimately you cannot help somebody from themselves.

I agree with most of this but it's still a manipulated outcome that doesn't really deal with the Ugle-Hagan train wreck.
It's typical of the AFL to manipulate things and in this instance they have called in a favor from GC to take on a high profile (and talented) Indigenous player they don't want lost to the game.
We will come out of it alright which is good for the club and somewhat acceptable for our supporters but it's questionable that the AFL should have got involved to this extent.

[Sedat]

I agree with most of this but it's still a manipulated outcome that doesn't really deal with the Ugle-Hagan train wreck.
It's typical of the AFL to manipulate things and in this instance they have called in a favor from GC to take on a high profile (and talented) Indigenous player they don't want lost to the game.
We will come out of it alright which is good for the club and somewhat acceptable for our supporters but it's questionable that the AFL should have got involved to this extent.

Of course you're right - this is all about the optics for the AFEL (it always is). My perspective on this is that JUH is an adult who is 100% responsible for the direction of his life - all the tiptoeing and hiding behind generic phrases like "complex nature" and "mental health challenges" removes any personal responsibility from the man himself and his decisions. We're not talking about a wayward teenager from the wrong side of the tracks (he might have been that a very, very long time ago, I'm not sure of his story) - for many years now (including during his last few high school years) he has been supported, protected and nurtured by our club in a highly professional environment to help him fulfil his personal dreams and his talents, not to mention handsomely remunerated in ways that the everyday 18-22yo can only dream of.

The fact that the AFEL have stepped in and given him a barely deserved final chance might be about protecting their brand and preserving the optics, but they didn't have to and it is going to help us out, which we frankly deserve IMO. And we are staying professional and respectful to the last, which has no doubt been very difficult to do and not reciprocated at all by JUH.

[GVGjr]

Of course you're right - this is all about the optics for the AFEL (it always is). My perspective on this is that JUH is an adult who is 100% responsible for the direction of his life - all the tiptoeing and hiding behind generic phrases like "complex nature" and "mental health challenges" removes any personal responsibility from the man himself and his decisions. We're not talking about a wayward teenager from the wrong side of the tracks (he might have been that a very, very long time ago, I'm not sure of his story) - for many years now (including during his last few high school years) he has been supported, protected and nurtured by our club in a highly professional environment to help him fulfil his personal dreams and his talents, not to mention handsomely remunerated in ways that the everyday 18-22yo can only dream of.

The fact that the AFEL have stepped in and given him a barely deserved final chance might be about protecting their brand and preserving the optics, but they didn't have to and it is going to help us out, which we frankly deserve IMO. And we are staying professional and respectful to the last, which has no doubt been very difficult to do and not reciprocated at all by JUH.

Stopping the loss of First Nations players in the AFL is the real driving force of this.
Once the AFL took over the management of Ugle-Hagan they were always going to get some acceptable outcome.
Now Marra made it hard on them with repeated challenges during the year that narrowed the range of clubs they could work with and this is what has led to them working with Gold Coast to get the deal done.
We could also have thrown a spanner in the works by simply holding him to his contract and effectively putting him in limbo so there will be something else coming back way.

From the AFL's perspective:
Marra has been put on notice and he would realise he's on his last chance, the Dogs will get his salary off the books and a player is return and GC will get a lot of assistance in managing this for the AFL.
There might even be a few high fives being thrown around the AFL office once this deal is confirmed.

[Plums]

The optics of it for the AFL are amazing, they don't lose a player out of the game they marketed to the public heavily in the past. However the club must push for some form of compensation from the league, because a $1.8m bill for a player that ran himself into the ground can not be accepted. What sort of a precedent does it set for players, you can behave however you like and if the AFL steps in you get not only a second chance, but an extra $900k in your pocket because of it. This years salary will be hard to argue anything for, but if we have to pay out in entirety his 2026 contract something has to said to reduce the financial impact on the club. It should be at a minimum excluded from the salary cap, but hopefully we end up not having to pay it.

[Aidan7557]

It's not worth wasting a lot of time and effort explaining what will happen with Jamarra but lets say it's an manufactured outcome manipulated by the AFL
With 3 key forwards already at the club and coming off their best ever season coupled with a desire to bring in the high profile Petracca, I wouldn't have thought the troubled Ugle-Hagan was a real priority for the Suns even given his immense talent.

With the number of Indigenous players declining at the senior level the AFL have called in a big favor from the team they keep propping up.
The AFL can't accept that the Dogs could potentially stand out a former #1 pick and high profile Indigenous player in Ugle-Hagan for another season.
We've also seen how much condition he lost in the last couple of months so another 12 months in limbo would likely set him back even further.
He's met with the coaches, a couple of players and done a medical and Harbrow has been identified as a minder for him and it's now at the 'being considered by the board' phase.
The same board that needs to foster a great relationship with the AFL.
I think the AFL is even increasing the number of rookies the GC can have which is both timely and convenient.

My guess is the deal will be struck, we will have him off the books and we will be compensated in some form probably with a trade that includes Budarick.
From the AFL perspective Marra won't be sacked so no damage there and as a high profile Indigenous player he wont be lost to the game.
He will move over to the the Suns and escape a lot of media scrutiny up in the Gold Coast. If any team can cop the heat if this was all to fail it's the Suns.

Im glad he will be out. Looks a mile off it with that gut that was hanging out in that charity game. Just pathetic. Thanks Marra for the wasted resources and 2024 finals loss. Makes me sick.