The footy world was sent into a tailspin on Thursday afternoon following the news from SEN Chief Sports Reporter Sam Edmund that Jamarra Ugle-Hagan could depart the Whitten oval at the end of this season.
"I can tell you that rival clubs - some of them - believe they're an outside chance to snatch the number one draft pick, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, out of the Western Bulldogs," Edmund said on SEN Radio.
"There's multiple clubs that have enquired about Ugle-Hagan's willingness to entertain a trade in what has been a difficult debut season for him at the Whitten Oval.
"The Dogs' decision to constantly overlook the 19-year-old at the selection table has been an on-going source of conjecture."
Despite injury and fitness concerns keeping the precocious forward on the sidelines this season, Edmund continued by stating that Ugle-Hagan's inability to break into the club's senior team has left him downcast.
"He has grown somewhat disillusioned with life at the Dogs this year," he said.
Ugle-Hagan has not laced his boots for a competitive game since May 9 of this season after concussion woes and the pausing of the VFL season have hampered his ability to get on the park.
Edmund also claimed that the former Next-Generation Academy prospect felt disappointed about being left behind in Melbourne following the Bulldogs departure from Victoria late last month.
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With ambiguity surrounding Ugle-Hagan's future in the west, club legend, Bob Murphy also weighed in on the situation.
“I’m pretty shocked really,” the 300-gamer said on SEN’s Bob and Andy.
“It feels like he’s been there for five minutes, it’s very early and it’s his first season. He’s played some good (VFL) footy and the idea of a trade is quite shocking."
Murphy recommenced by saying that if their was truth to his colleagues reports, then perhaps Beveridge needed to bite the bullet and play his young gun.
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“I also think there’s a secondary benefit here (if you debut him), you take Sam’s reporting at face value, it would also give Jamarra (Ugle-Hagan) a taste … you’ve been held back for a reason,” Murphy said.
“The word is it’s about fitness levels and not being able to run out four quarters at the top level.
“If you give him a taste, you show him what the standards are. The positive around it is he’s a number one pick key position player – and this is me being most optimistic – that he thinks he should play and is hungry to me."
The fellow former first round draftee also added that perhaps the 195cm youngster should remain patient rather than restless.
“But the pessimistic (side) of me is it’s too early to be getting the grumbles around not getting everything he wants (at the Bulldogs) and maybe things would be better elsewhere, that’s more of a concern.”
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