Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, the Western Bulldogs forward, has spoken publicly for the first time since taking an indefinite leave of absence, revealing he experienced suicidal thoughts and hit 'rock bottom' during his struggle with mental health. The 22-year-old, who was the No 1 draft pick in 2020, shared his experiences on the Rip Through It podcast with former AFL players Mitch Robinson and Rhys Mathieson.
Ugle-Hagan said he reached a point where he did not trust himself driving and gave his car to a friend. 'There were times when I would think about, to be honest with you, [it is] just not even worth living,' he said. He turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism before entering a rehabilitation facility in northern New South Wales.
Ugle-Hagan has not played since last year's elimination final defeat to Hawthorn and has been unable to train regularly with the Bulldogs since late 2023. He rejoined his teammates this week for light training but remains under the AFL's mental health plan, requiring league approval for a return. Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has expressed hope that Ugle-Hagan will play again this season.
Despite trade speculation linking him to the Sydney Swans, Ugle-Hagan reaffirmed his commitment to the Bulldogs, for whom he kicked a career-best 43 goals last year. 'I want to play footy. I can't wait to play footy,' he said, adding that he hopes to play at least one more game this season and win a premiership with the club.
