By Sam McClure
Western Bulldogs star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has been cleared of any wrongdoing after being interviewed by police, following his presence at a Melbourne nightclub when gunshots were fired at the weekend.
Police sources have confirmed they spoke to Ugle-Hagan on Monday, after shots were fired at the Love Machine in Prahran in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The AFL’s integrity unit has been made aware of the incident and have spoken to Victoria Police but it is not actively investigating.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan at Western Bulldogs training in June.Credit: Eddie Jim
The player had told the club he was waiting for an Uber to go home when he heard the shot, an explanation which has since been corroborated by the police, who spoke to Ugle-Hagan and checked nearby CCTV.
The Western Bulldogs are aware that Ugle-Hagan was outside the nightclub when the gun went off.
Police said a firearm was discharged after a fight broke out just after 2am. No injuries were reported.
A spokesperson for the Bulldogs said Ugle-Hagan’s situation was a “matter for police”.
Ugle-Hagan’s future in the AFL has been the subject of significant conjecture this year after the former No.1 draft pick revealed the mental health struggles he experienced during his months-long absence from the game.
The AFL 67-gamer, who has not played since the Bulldogs’ elimination final loss to Hawthorn last September that finished his career-best 43-goal season, has said he temporarily lost his passion for playing football at the height of his struggles, and instead turned to alcohol-fuelled socialising.
Ugle-Hagan’s club and coach Luke Beveridge have been regularly asked about the player’s status throughout the 2025 season.
“He’s a long way off ready to play,” Beveridge told reporters in late June when Ugle-Hagan returned to training.
“That’s all I’ll say.”
When pressed further at the time, Beveridge said he would not be providing a running commentary on the player or his circumstances.
“With Jamarra, if it’s going to be a weekly question, you will be wasting your time,” Beveridge said.
“He won’t play at AFL level or state league level for a while. No use to keep asking, OK?”
Ugle-Hagan has one more year remaining on his contract at the Western Bulldogs, which is worth upwards of $900,000 a season.
People close to the star player believe he may benefit from a change of scenery. The Sydney Swans are in the market for a key forward and have not publicly ruled out a move for him.
Two club sources, unwilling to comment publicly, said on Monday they would be surprised if Ugle-Hagan was on the club’s list going into 2026.
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