Jamarra Ugle-Hagan facts for kids

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (born 4 April 2002) is a professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Western Bulldogs team in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early Life and Football Start

Jamarra was born in a place called Framlingham Aboriginal Reserve in south-west Victoria. His family is from the Indigenous Australian groups of Noongar, Gunditjmara, and Djab Wurrung.

He went to high school at Warrnambool College. Later, he moved to Scotch College as a boarding student when he was in Year 9.

First Steps in Football

Jamarra started playing football for local teams. He played for East Warrnambool and the South Warrnambool Football Club. After that, he joined the Oakleigh Chargers team in the NAB League. The NAB League is a competition for young football players.

Jamarra's AFL Journey

Joining the Western Bulldogs: 2021–2022

Jamarra was part of the Western Bulldogs' Next Generation Academy. This program helps find and train talented Aboriginal and multicultural players. It helps people who might not otherwise get to play Australian rules football.

In the 2020 national draft, Jamarra was chosen as the very first player. This is called "Pick 1". The Western Bulldogs picked him after another team, the Adelaide Crows, tried to get him. He is the first Bulldogs player to be Pick 1 since 2003. He is also only the second Indigenous player ever to be chosen first in the draft.

Jamarra played his first AFL game for the Western Bulldogs on 11 July 2021. This was in a game against the Sydney Swans. In his first game, he got seven disposals (times he touched the ball). He also took one mark (caught the ball). Even though he didn't kick any goals, he stayed in the team for the next game. In that game, he kicked three goals against the Gold Coast Suns. In August 2021, Jamarra signed a contract to stay with the Bulldogs until the end of 2024.

In 2022, Jamarra was nominated for the Rising Star award. This happened after he kicked five goals in a game against Melbourne.

A Big Year: 2023

In 2023, Jamarra had a very important moment. In a game against the St Kilda, someone in the crowd said something mean to him. The next week, in a game against the Brisbane Lions, Jamarra played amazingly. He kicked five goals in a tough game. After one of his goals, he lifted his shirt and pointed to his skin. He was showing support for Nicky Winmar, another Indigenous player who did something similar in 1993.

This moment seemed to help Jamarra play even better. He kicked three goals in a game against the Gold Coast. He also kicked four goals and had 12 disposals against the Fremantle. The next week, he kicked two goals and had 13 disposals against the Collingwood. Jamarra played every game for the Western Bulldogs in 2023. He finished the year as the second-highest goalkicker for his team, with 35 goals.

Top Goalkicker: 2024

Jamarra had another strong year in 2024. He played 22 games and kicked 43 goals. This made him the leading goalkicker for the Western Bulldogs for the season. He had a great run of form in Rounds 18 to 20, kicking 12 goals in just three games. In Round 21, against the Melbourne, he had many chances to score. He kicked two goals but also missed six other shots at goal.

Honours and Achievements

Individual Awards

• AFL Rising Star nominee: 2022
• 2x 22under22 team: 2023, 2024