"Lucky I'm alive": Jamarra speaks on "traumatising" nightclub shooting

Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has again found himself in news headlines after being present at a non-fatal shooting early on Sunday morning.

Ugle-Hagan was outside Love Machine nightclub in Prahran with a friend when the incident occurred.

It’s been reported that Ugle-Hagan’s friend became involved in a verbal altercation with another group before a fight broke out, and a gun was fired.

Speaking with Herald Sun, Ugle-Hagan confirmed the incident, doubling down on his non-involvement in the "traumatising" event.

“It was that close to me, I’m lucky I wasn’t hit,” Ugle-Hagan told Herald Sun.

“I wasn’t involved with anything, as the police know. There was 20 people around me and probably another 100 at the venue, but my name is being mentioned like I have some kind of part in it.

"I’m linked just by being there. It’s trial by media. It is out of my control. It is traumatising and no one should be near or see any of that.

“People need to understand I’m safe, which is the biggest thing. I’m not even involved, but I can’t let this get to me. I’m lucky I’m alive and nothing happened, as it was only a metre away.”

It is the latest incident that Ugle-Hagan has been caught up in after a car belonging to him was involved in several criminal incidents in Melbourne’s south-east last month.

While Ugle-Hagan himself didn’t break any laws in either incident, SEN's Tom Morris simply doesn’t see these situations as being ideal for a player who’s hoping to win the trust of his club back and make a return to play at the top level.

“He's hanging out with people and socialising in groups that have made the Western Bulldogs and other AFL key figures extremely anxious,” Morris told SEN Breakfast.

“The evidence of that is quite stark. The fact is, a car with his name registered to him was involved in a hit-and-run last month, even though he wasn't directly involved.

“Then, on the weekend, he was outside Love Machine nightclub in Prahran when a non-fatal shooting took place.

“In the eyes of the law, he's done nothing wrong in any of this, but he's been caught up in these situations which are less than ideal for a player that's looking to get back and play.”

While Ugle-Hagan is contracted for another season, Morris can’t see him being at the Dogs at all for the 2026 campaign.

The news breaker also pondered whether he’ll even be on an AFL list entirely after 2025.

“He's got one year remaining on a deal, but I can't see a world where he's at the Dogs next year, and I think there's even a chance that he won't be on an AFL list,” Morris said.

“Then, if you're not on an AFL list, how are you going to get back on the list?

“He's eroded a lot of trust. Yes, it's complex and delicate, but at the moment, it's only going one way, and that is out of the system.”

Ugle-Hagan has trained at the Bulldogs during the 2025 season, but hasn’t been at the club consistently enough to warrant selection at any level.