Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is expected to sign an incentive-laden one-year deal in the hopes of extending what has been a turbulent career to date.
The first-overall pick of 2020 left his post at the Western Bulldogs - the club of his drafting - at the end of a tumultuous 2025, with irreconcilable differences with powerbrokers at the club necessitating a fresh start.
That fresh start came at the Gold Coast, under master coach Damien Hardwick. 12 months on, neither party has extracted exactly what they would have initially hoped from the deal, but the Herald Sun's Jon Ralph is reporting that both parties would like to run it back, and give the experiment one more year to bear the desired fruit.
Jamarra expected to sign a one year deal this week. Significant incentives in the deal are the perfect carrot. Won’t have to trial over summer. Returns to the Gold Coast on Friday keen to drop 5-6kg to get into the best fitness of his life https://t.co/BrW9OWdsPU pic.twitter.com/XwXjIU0QRp
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) September 28, 2026
The incentive-laden nature of the deal marks it as a low-risk option for the Suns, who will be banking on Jamarra replacing the considerable void to be left by wantaway spearhead, Hawthorn-bound free agent, Ben King.
Ralph reports the 24-year-old is under no illusions as to what will be required of him in order to rejuvenate a career that once exuded such promise. The most pertinent of those things, without a doubt, is his conditioning, with weight loss expected to be a feature of his second pre-season in the Sunshine State.
The Suns will be looking to make their way back to September, after featuring in the showpiece month for the first time in their history in 2024. 2025 saw a significant slide in fortunes, with the Suns losing 10 consecutive matches at one point during their seemingly cursed campaign.
A healthy, motivated Ugle-Hagan can go a long way to reversing that slide in 2027.
