Collingwood great Tony Shaw has urged the Magpies to attempt to lure troubled Western Bulldog Jamarra Ugle-Hagan to the club.
Ugle-Hagan, the No.1 pick in the 2020 national draft, has endured a turbulent off-season amid reports of a rift between the talented key forward and senior figures at the Bulldogs including captain Marcus Bontempelli and coach Luke Beveridge.
It has been reported that the Dogs were close to leaving Ugle-Hagan out of their elimination final line-up to face Hawthorn last year, before eventually naming him and starting him on the interchange bench. Ugle-Hagan had just four disposals and failed to kick a goal in a resounding 37-point loss.
Speaking on 3AW, Shaw, who captained Collingwood’s 1990 AFL premiership team, said there would be ‘ten clubs jumping’ at the chance to turn the 22-year old’s career and life around, and believes the Magpies should be one of them given their ageing key forward stocks.
“My old club [Collingwood] would be jumping out of their skin – a key forward with athleticism,” he said.
“You have got to take a chance on him. You have got to think you can change him.
“Being a Collingwood person, if they didn’t have a go at him if he became available, I think that would be wrong.
“If he became available to other clubs they would take a chance on him. Every other club thinks they can do it better than the club they came from, where they have troubles.
“No doubt there would be ten clubs jumping at it. And they would make him pay the price suitable for their group.”
However, Shaw also doesn’t believe his relationship with the Bulldogs is untenable, having recently returned to training and reportedly impressed with an improved attitude.
“You say, ‘Sorry coach, I have done the wrong thing’,” Shaw said.
“When you are a teammate, you just want them to be out there to play to be a good teammate, but also to win the game because you are a professional footballer.
“He has to come to terms with that.”
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan celebrates with Aaron Naughton after kicking a goal. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Ugle-Hagan enjoyed a career-best 2024 before the late-season drama, kicking 43 goals including consecutive bags of four against fellow top-eight teams Carlton, Geelong and Sydney.
He is contracted to the Bulldogs until the end of 2026; however, he wouldn’t be the first player to depart his club despite a long-term deal.
Of concern is how Ugle-Hagan will fare in 2025 after a virtually nonexistent pre-season, with former great Matthew Lloyd comparing his case to that of Melbourne star Clayton Oliver, who was well down on form in 2024 after his own off-field issues in the 2023 off-season.
“I think to myself: ‘How did Clayton Oliver go last year without a pre-season?’ He was awful; he chased his tail,” Lloyd said on Nine’s Footy Classified.
“One thing is conditioning; the other thing is when you don’t have the respect of the coaches and the players.
“He didn’t have it when he first got to the club… how long did Luke Beveridge make him wait to play a game of AFL football? A long, long time.
“The problem with footy clubs is, it’s one player who’s taking everyone’s energy.
“If he wasn’t the No. 1 draft pick, he’s probably gone by now. He’s got to realise his career will be over in 2-3 years.”
The Roarhttps://www.theroar.com.au/2025/03/09/got-to-think-you-can-change-him-pies-greats-plea-for-old-club-to-make-play-for-ugle-hagan/‘Got to think you can change him’: Pies great’s plea for old club to make play for Ugle-Hagan
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