Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has shed a tear after being informed he will make his Gold Coast debut in the Suns' AFL clash with Hawthorn in Launceston.Â
Ugle-Hagan, the No.1 pick from the 2020 draft, didn't play a single game last year for the Western Bulldogs as he battled a range of off-field and mental health issues.
The Dogs cut their losses at the end of the season, trading the 24-year-old Indigenous star for pick No.74.
It was a bargain deal for Gold Coast, but one that also came with massive risks.
Ugle-Hagan was overlooked for the Suns' first six rounds of the season, but his five-goal haul in the VFL last week was simply too hard to ignore.
"We told Jamarra in front of the playing group this morning, and I'm not going to lie, there was a tear from player and probably the coach as well," Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick said.
"It's an incredible story, it's been 596 days since his last AFL game.
"He's done a power of work for us, we've made him earn it and we've been so impressed by what he's brought."
In October, Ugle Hagan described 2025 as a "year from hell".
He said he attended 12 funerals in that year alone, with a decline in his mental health taking a toll.
The key forward uses football as his medicine, and Suns fans will be licking their lips to see what Ugle-Hagan can produce on Saturday.
Hardwick says he can't guarantee Ugle-Hagan a run of games in the side, but the former Bulldogs forward is guaranteed plenty of love as he embarks on the second chapter of his AFL career.Â
"What he does know is he's got a whole football club behind him that's prepared to give him the very best opportunity to show the AFL world what his story can be," Hardwick said.Â
"It's his story to write. He gets a second chance, and it's a great thing about AFL football.Â
"His story is a challenging one. He's been through his ups and downs, but more importantly, he's got a long - I feel - career in front of him.
"We're excited about what he's going to offer. What we do know is we think he's going to be a big part of our future moving forward."
Gold Coast sit fourth on the ladder with a 4-2 record, while Hawthorn (5-1) are third.
The Suns welcome back captain Noah Anderson from illness, with defenders Joel Jeffrey and Charlie Ballard dropping out of the side.
Veteran Hawthorn forward Jack Gunston, who has kicked 19 goals from five games this season, will return from a corked thigh amidst a massive five changes.Â
Jack Dalton, Finn Maginness, Harry Morrison and Jack Scrimshaw join him in the side, replacing James Sicily (suspended), Dylan Moore (suspended), Sam Butler (managed), Flynn Perez (managed) and Will McCabe (dropped).
Star midfielder Will Day is still about a month away from playing after having a shoulder reconstruction in January.
"Will's tracking well," Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell said on Thursday.
"He's been our bench coach, and we've been going to him. But we've lost him now, because he has to do his own training as a priority. He's getting closer."
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