Bulldogs star Ugle-Hagan on mental health struggles
Western Bulldogs star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has opened up about his mental health struggles for the first time since taking a leave of absence, saying he battled with suicidal thoughts.
The former No.1 pick is looking to make his AFL comeback after recently visiting a health retreat in northern NSW in an effort to get his life and career back on track.
Ugle-Hagan has not played this season but rejoined Bulldogs teammates earlier this week for the first time since April.
He had been unable to regularly train with the Dogs since late last year.
The 23-year-old took part in a light training session at Whitten Oval, but could still be weeks away from a possible comeback at VFL level.
Speaking with ex-AFL players Mitch Robinson and Rhys Mathieson on the Rip Through It podcast, Ugle-Hagan revealed the extent of his battle.
"All the noises actually sent me to a rehab facility for my mental health," Ugle-Hagan said.
"It got to a point where I had to give my car to a mate, so I couldn't drive - I just didn't trust myself driving.
"There were times when I would think about, to be honest with you, just not even worth living.
"Definitely - suicidal thoughts would come pretty frequently.
"Especially when I felt like I was on my own the whole time, the way I was isolated and put out in the public."
Ugle-Hagan said he turned to alcohol at the height of his struggles before spending time at the health retreat.
"When you are down, you want to keep finding an upper," Ugle-Hagan said.
"My upper was probably staying and hanging out with my mates and getting on the piss, and training with them as well.
"But it just had no end goal. I didn't have a game. I didn't have anything.
"My mental health wasn't in the right space, so I was struggling, and I found it really tough to even enjoy football."
The AFL would need to approve Ugle-Hagan's comeback because he has been under the league's mental health plan since taking leave.
But Ugle-Hagan, who is contracted to the Bulldogs until the end of next season, said he was adamant on resuming his 67-game AFL career.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge last week raised the same prospect.
"I want to play footy. I can't wait to play footy," Ugle-Hagan said.
"I want to kick a f***ing goal in front of those crowds.
"I have been watching every single Bulldogs game. I have been supporting them, been watching them.
"I will go to games at the end of the year. I genuinely want to play one more (game), I want to play some games.
"It's going to be grouse."
Ugle-Hagan maintained his commitment to the Bulldogs after trade speculation linked him with a possible trade to the Sydney Swans, given his time spent in NSW.
He led the Bulldogs with a career-best 43 goals in 22 appearances last year, but has not featured at any level since the elimination final defeat to Hawthorn.
Beveridge has also swatted away suggestions Ugle-Hagan could be on the move, declaring him "our player".
"I'm obviously still contracted with the Doggies and I still want to play for them and I want to win a flag," Ugle-Hagan said.
"It's the Bulldogs until my contract runs out and then hopefully they offer me another one, but we will see how we go.
"They have given me opportunities since day dot, so why can't I get back?"
Lifeline 13 11 14
beyondblue 1300 22 4636
13YARN 13 92 76
Lifeline 13 11 14
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Box Hill Hawks VFL-listed player Daniel Wood ‘nearly hit the moon' with mark of the century for Blackburn
Box Hill Hawks VFL -listed player Daniel Wood has taken one of the most freakish marks you're ever likely to see. Playing for Blackburn in the Eastern Football Netball League's premier division on Saturday, Wood climbed on the shoulders of two Balwyn players to take an insane grab that would rival anything that high-flying AFL greats Gary Moorcroft, Andrew Walker or Jeremy Howe have ever taken. Box Hill posted footage of the mark, which shows players from both sides in disbelief at the acrobatic effort. 'Yesterday, while playing for Blackburn, our own Daniel Wood took one of the greatest marks in the history of Australian rules football,' Box Hill wrote on social media. 'Don't believe me? Just watch... Give him a car, a boat, a plane, the International Space Station — this is as good as it gets.' The video had already been seen by tens of thousands of people within hours of it going up. 'Maybe the best local footy mark ever seen yesterday. Crazy!!!' one admirer said of it on X. 'Who says MOTY has to be from AFL?' another added. One person simply called it 'unbelievable'. Someone else joked: 'This blokes head nearly hit the moon.' To top it off, Wood went back and kicked the goal. But it wasn't enough for his side to get the win, with Blackburn going down to Balwyn 68-57 in a top-three EFNL clash. The game also featured former North Melbourne small forward Kayne Turner, former Carlton utility Ben Silvagni, whose brother Jack is still a star at the Blues, and former Brisbane forward Toby Wooller. Wood's Box Hill Hawks played against North Melbourne's reserves on the same day at Arden Street, winning comfortably by 10 goals. Making a rare appearance at VFL level, AFL champion Luke Breust kicked three goals, while young tall Calsher Dear kicked 2.2. At AFL level, the Hawks dismantled the Roos by 85 points in Launceston.
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘That's a week': AFL umpire strikes young Demon in Suns beat down
Melbourne has been left bloodied and battered during its 19-point loss to the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon. The Demons kicked five goals in the final quarter to put some gloss on the scoreboard, but they trailed 5.7 to one point at quarter-time en route to a 15.14 (104) to 12.13 (85) defeat that turns the heat up on coach Simon Goodwin. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Their disappointing afternoon might have been personified by an incident between young midfielder Harvey Langford and umpire Martin Rodger late in that awful opening term. Rodger bounced the ball after the Suns' fourth unanswered goal and then backed away from the centre circle with his arms raised, inadvertently clipping Langford on his path backwards. Watch the umpire clip in the video player above The 19-year-old was briefly rocked before opting to continue playing, heading back into defence and trying to get involved in the play before he was spotted by the umpire and sent off with the blood rule. The moment with Langford was initially missed by the commentators before he was seen on the bench receiving treatment and a replay was then shown. 'Umpire elbow, Langford,' Jonathan Brown said when he saw the replay. Ben Dixon added: 'Yeah umpire elbow boys.' Alastair Lynch then joked: 'That's a week!' Dixon replied: 'Yeah that's a week to the ump.' Dwayne Russell then added some insult to the injury by wondering if Langford might cop a fine. 'Would he get fined for umpire contact?' he asked. 'Because he was behind the umpire and they've been paying free kicks and fining players for it, so he might get stitches and a fine.' There was more trouble to come for the Demons, and not just on the scoreboard, when Clayton Oliver attempted to dive on a loose footy and clashed heads with Suns star Touk Miller. The three-time All Australian came off second best, with blood pouring from a wound on his head as he came from the ground. That sparked a bloodied rest of the game for Oliver, with the team's medical staff trying valiantly but mostly unsuccessfully to patch him up. 'Have a look at Clayton Oliver,' Dixon said late in the game as blood poured down his heavily bandaged face. 'They're trying to get him off. He looks like Hannibal Lecter, fair dinkum. 'It's just leaking from everywhere, they're just trying to get him off to get some more tape on it.' Fans on X were also noticing the carnage. Lucy Cuzzupe tweeted: 'How is it concussion's a thing in football today but Oliver can run on the ground with all that bandage covering his face and head? Such a bad look. If he's that bad sub him off.' @GreyCommentator said: 'Someone get the record books out. What's the record for the most number of concussions/blood rules for one team in a match? 'Melbourne so far 2 concussions, Oliver with blood streaming, Langford with blood after an umpire elbowed him.' It all summed up a pretty miserable day for the Dees, who will likely be spared more intense scrutiny after kicking 12 goals to the Gold Coast's 10 after quarter-time. While Michael Voss is copping the most heat over the performances of his Carlton side, Melbourne fans were voicing their concerns about 2021 flag winner Goodwin. 'We need to have a talk about Simon Goodwin being coach at the end of the season. This is just bad,' one fan wrote on X. 'Goodwin will always have the flag and I don't have any animosity for him, but the list deserves a different look at the caper, so Simon should read the tea leaves and step aside,' wrote another. 'Simon Goodwin is a kindergarten level football coach. Bloke has been fidgeting for 4 years. Biggest waste of a post premiership era of all time. My nan could have won 2 premierships with that list,' said a third. The Demons, who are sitting 14th with five wins for the season, head to Adelaide next up to take on the high-flying Crows.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
NSW were hammered 8-0 in a first-half Origin penalty blitz. Here's why it won't happen again
There was one passage of play in the second half when the Blues were camped on the Maroons line and Cameron Munster was offside at marker, which forced NSW hooker Connor Watson to keep going to the short side, only for the attacking play to break down when the ball spilled into touch. Loading Daley and Slater were given the option of meeting the NRL and Maxwell before the series started, but both declined. Slater wasted no time compiling his own list of grievances after the Maroons' defeat in game one. Now Daley has done likewise. Klein is expected to keep the top job for the decider at Accor Stadium, while Grant Atkins impressed again in Thursday's Panthers-Bulldogs epic, suggesting his chance to officiate an Origin game is not far away. Daley will pick his side for the decider on Sunday night. Jarome Luai is expected to overcome the infection that forced him out of Wests Tigers' 28-10 loss to Manly on Friday night. Tigers coach Benji Marshall said Luai could have played had the game been 'another 24 or 48 hours later'. South Sydney forward Keaon Koloamatangi is making a strong case to unseat props Max King or Stefano Utoikamanu, and has the advantage of also being able to play on the edge. Matt Burton remains in the box seat to retain 18th-man duties, which will mean he is missing for club duty again when Canterbury host Brisbane on Thursday night. Another two players Daley wanted to see perform this weekend were Tom Trbojevic in the centres for Manly and South Sydney's Campbell Graham. Winger Brian To'o underwent scans for a knee injury on Saturday, but Penrith medical staff are hoping he will be fit for game three. Canterbury's Jacob Kiraz would be on standby. Twelve of the 18 players on the Blues' final team list at Optus Stadium had already completed their club commitments or enjoyed the bye by late Friday. Only hooker Reece Robson, and Melbourne's Utoikamanu, will play on Sunday, compared to nine Maroons who will feature in the two games to close out the round. The Maroons are expected to call-up Reece Walsh to fullback after Kalyn Ponga broke down with a foot injury for the Knights. Scans confirmed the Queensland superstar has suffered a lisfranc injury. Ponga is set for a lengthy stint out. One thing that would have pleased Daley was the performance of Penrith's NSW quintet. Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Brian To'o, Dylan Edwards and Liam Martin were all standouts in Thursday's win over the Bulldogs. Loading Cleary scored the charge-down try, Edwards and To'o combined for 50 hit-ups and Martin hounded the Dogs' back three all game. 'Nathan came up with the big play, and Dyl, 'Bizz' [To'o] and Marto, they were in everything,' Yeo said. 'The tougher the game is, the better Bizz goes. He came off a limited prep in game two – he was our best in that game, and he was just about our best on Thursday night. 'If you said at the start of the series that you'd get a decider at home, I reckon you'd take that.'
