Uncertainty Ahead: Bulldogs Coach Luke Beveridge Shares Vision for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan as Return Remains Unclear

Western Bulldogs head coach Luke Beveridge has detailed the pathway for Jamarra Ugle-Hagan as the promising young player takes steps towards his return to the AFL after facing personal challenges.

This season, Ugle-Hagan has yet to appear for the Bulldogs, having only resumed full training in mid-February due to off-field matters.

A report earlier this month from Tom Morris at 9news Melbourne revealed that he missed two training sessions following the Labour Day long weekend in Victoria, which was acknowledged by the club.

On Fox Footy earlier this week, Beveridge stated that he could not provide an exact timeline for the 22-year-old’s return to the field.

However, the coach has since clarified that this does not imply Ugle-Hagan will be sidelined for the entire season.

“I think people may be misinterpreting my comments and projecting that as a possible outcome,” Beveridge told journalists on Thursday.

“When I mentioned I couldn’t specify a return date, it somewhat hints at that possibility. We’re uncertain at this point, but what he needs to focus on is engaging continuously at this level, which is what we are both striving for.

“Once he can achieve that, the challenge will be maintaining that level of performance over time.

“After establishing that consistency, he will be in a position to return to the field.”

There have also been reports suggesting Ugle-Hagan has struggled to maintain the trust of both his teammates and coaching staff.

While Beveridge acknowledged the “life challenges” faced by his young player, he did not specifically mention issues of trust.

“The trust factor is perhaps within the communication and messaging between Jamarra and the club, but we’ve never publicly addressed that,” he remarked.

“We appreciate that he is dealing with life challenges that can impact his ability to play at this level. It’s not really about trust.

“We need to focus on how we can motivate him and support him in becoming more self-sufficient again.

“That’s where we currently find ourselves, and there’s evidence of him making better strides in that direction than he has in the past. Now, we simply need to ensure that he can maintain that momentum.”