JAMARRA Ugle-Hagan has arrived. After a breakout season last year, the young Western Bulldogs star is enjoying a career-best campaign and patch of form as the Dogs make their finals charge.

The 22-year-old chats with Cal Twomey in this week's Q&A, covering expectations, his goalkicking, being a No.1 pick, his stance against racism, stepping away from the club earlier this year, his massive contract call and the aspirations he has for his career. 

The fend-off then the snap on the right foot was the highlight but was last week against Sydney the best game of your career? 

It's definitely up there. I feel like consistency is the base of my game at the moment with pressure acts and the way I'm attacking the ball and finishing my set shots. They have been my main focuses this year. That fourth goal was pretty cool. I have watched it a little bit. The boys showed it up in the team meeting which was unreal but the way everyone got around me showed me that we're going well. I've gotten out of my comfort zone and backed my talent in. Why I got drafted is because of how I played and backed myself so I've gone out of my way to do my thing. 

This is the best form patch you've had at AFL level. Previously most of your best games have come under the roof at Marvel but two away wins against the Cats and Swans have seen you really stand up. Has that been part of your growth? 

It definitely is [the best form patch]. It's been good but I've got a pretty good midfield kicking it to me as well. We've played the top teams and I've felt a lot more comfortable out there, especially with 'Darc' (Sam Darcy) and 'Naughty' (Aaron Naughton) helping me. It just makes me break up my game and helps me get the third defender sometimes. I've been playing on some pretty good defenders lately, I've had a couple of strong ones which is challenging for me, but it opens up my game and I go up the field and work back.  

How do you play on those key backs?

I respect them first but have to believe I've done more work than them and hopefully I can be better. It's really how we use the ball. If we're not using the ball well then we can't perform but the way we are using it is opening up the game for us forwards. 

You have already kicked a career-best 37 goals this year and the conversion has been a big improvement. What is your thought process in shots now?  

We've got Brad Johnson coming down here every fortnight and had Eddie Betts here last week teaching us how to snap, so that's probably why I got that one in against the Swans. I've just been more focused on it. Usually I'd go back and take my steps and kick it, but there's a lot more that goes into it. I focus on leaning forward, planting my leg stronger than what it usually is and just narrowing my focus to a smaller target. I usually look at the goal umpire as well as though it's a kick to kick, because you're more accurate with a kick to kick than a set shot I feel. I focus on something behind and then a little smaller target so that if I miss it by a metre it's still going in. Then I have to keep my plant foot as I land as straight as possible will make my hips stay straight. As a natural left-footer I usually like to lean back to my left side, which can give it that natural curve, but I've backed it in. 

Amassing shots at goal has never been an issue for you, but taking the moment looks like something you're enjoying. 

These are must-win games for us over the last three weeks and coming up as well. I don't put pressure on myself to win the game for us myself, but the way we're playing is unbelievable. My set shots last year would lose games where I'd kick 3.2 or 3.4 or 2.4 and we'd lose by a couple of goals and I'd blame myself and be a bit hard on myself for that. It would sit on my mind for the whole week and it was annoying because we missed out on finals by a little bit. I think I had 97 shots last year but only converted 35 goals and 35 points, so if I can switch my points into goals and then my no scores into points then we're probably a top team. 

Your season started solidly and then you stepped away for two games due to the family reasons. How was the impact of that? 

It was a hard time. I wanted to keep playing but I had to go home for a little reset. I felt like I wasn't enjoying my football at that time and it got really hard for me with the pressure and also the contract talks, because I wasn't signed then. It was hard as a young boy getting all the talk in the media about it, which is fine because it's their job to talk about that, but it does take a toll especially living up here on my own as a 22-year-old. I found it a bit challenging. I have been used to the pressure since I was 18 but it got to me for a bit. 

Was it a difficult conversation to step back from the club?

I more went home as a reset and to see my family, because I hardly see them. As an Indigenous boy it's a lot better sometimes to go home and connect with the land and your family because it's a reminder of why you do it and the reason you play footy in the first place when there's all that other talk. But once I get home it's like 'This is why I play, because of my community and my family'. I didn't want to leave because I wanted to play for the team and we lost a game I missed, and I hated not playing. You want to be out there with them. 

A little bit after that you signed on for another two years, having been offered some mega long-term deals. Hawthorn and Richmond were keen. How was it weighing that interest up?  

I found it challenging with the numbers you get thrown at you as a 22-year-old and looking at that you think 'This could set me up for life and set my family up for the future as well'. But at the end of the day I thought to myself I could have taken the selfish way out and do that, and my manager (Robbie D'Orazio) also could say 'Go the big bucks, I'll get paid more' but he helped me heaps, said 'It's better to stay here' and I said '100 per cent' because they've helped me since I was 15, they've put so much time into me and I wanted to give back to the club. I didn't really have an excuse to leave. Yeah, there was a lot of stuff thrown at me but at the end of the day I'm pretty happy with this family. 

Being talked about has really been a part of your journey since you were 16. You were called the 'next Lance Franklin', you were the No.1 draft pick in 2020, people knew you by your first name before you were picked. How did you deal with that when you finally got to the Dogs officially?  

My first year was challenging and that was with professionalism and performing. I found it hard. I was kicking goals and had an alright VFL year but I did find it challenging not getting picked for the AFL team. Looking back now I wouldn't change a thing about that. I didn't debut until later in the year but it's made me the person I am: it's made me work harder, it's made me not think it just comes like that and I have to put the foot down. Coming in as the No.1 pick to a team that makes the Grand Final – I don't think that's ever happened before so I'd look at it that way. But it made me train harder in the off-season to perform and now I'm getting the results which is nice.

Did you think it would just click?

Yeah for sure. Coming in as the No.1 draft pick I thought 'Shit yeah, I'll just come in, kick goals and win games from round one'. But there's a lot more to it than that and there's boys who are at the club for five, 10 years who have strong experience on you. 

I've asked this to other No.1 picks and had interesting answers. Would you choose to be the No.1 pick if you could have your time again? 

I wouldn't change a thing. I did it for my family and community and the Indigenous culture. People look up to me and think 'Wow, if he's gone at that pick why can't I achieve that as well?' I like the pressure when it comes to that stuff and I did like the praise, because I felt I worked hard in the draft and that I played well. I would have been shattered if I didn't get the No.1 pick at the time.

While we're on it, the 'Jamarra rule' was brought in at the end of that year to stop early access to Next Generation Academy players. This week it is expected to be overturned and changed back so clubs have full access to their NGA players. Good move? 

I think it's a good thing for it to be back. It gives the opportunity to others like I got – to go to a club that's put time and effort into the player. If the other clubs are grabbing talented kids, let's say Richmond had put time into Maurice Rioli and then West Coast get him or whatever it is, I feel like if they develop them then they should have every chance to get them because they've seen them since day dot and they've believed in them to have them in their program. 

The draft class of 2020 has at times struggled after missing out on the season due to COVID. Do you think it set you back in your career? 

That was tough. When we first got back to playing footy the next year I forgot some of the rules for a bit like, 'Wait, do we switch ends every quarter or at half-time?' I'd completely forgotten everything. We had a whole year off and then came straight into an AFL pre-season and us Victorians did it pretty tough. I'd love to see if we did have a season who would have played well and how the draft would have looked. The way we handled it I think was pretty good. I was in Anglesea at my host family doing school and training in the mornings. 

We did an interview during that time … you spoke about staying with 'Bont' during a training stint with the Dogs and getting some of his leftover boots and runners. 

I still remember that. It was my first interview. I probably just gave yes or no answers…

The draft happened but then you were made to wait until round 17 before you made your debut. Every week Luke Beveridge answered questions about when you would be picked. How did you find the wait? 

I found that so challenging. I saw pick 56 or 41 or rookie draft players were debuting before me at pick one which was challenging. I'm competitive and I hated seeing that. But I knew my time would come and Luke Beveridge handled it well. I understand now why he didn't put me out there because it is a tough role being a key forward in the AFL considering I'd come from being a 16, 17-year-old kicking goals as a bottom-ager and going to Scotch College. But it was hard watching other people play. 

When you see young forwards in the game now do you see parts of what you were doing yourself?

Definitely. It's pretty funny to see young key forwards come in like I was at the same age. We've got Jordan Croft in who has come in at the same build I did I reckon, at 87 kilos. But the way you can see things at that age where it's easier to be pushed under the ball, it's going to take time to develop and it's weights, which takes a whole year. You come in as a key forward and can think it's going to be easy and you'll kick the goals but you have to do a lot more than that because it's a tough role. You're getting tagged every game. Everyone talks about midfielders getting tagged – mate, we've got probably the hardest job in the game. 

How did you find watching on for that 2021 Grand Final in Perth?

It was the best experience I'd had through that whole finals series. There was definitely jealousy from me because you want to be out there with the boys playing. We were left behind in Tassie watching the boys play in Brisbane and win that final by a point so that was hard to watch. But then we ended up winning and getting to the Grand Final. You train so hard and you want to play, because you want to get in for that Grand Final. It was hard to watch in that second half as we lost but mainly you just think 'I want to be involved in this'. 

Jeremy Cameron said earlier this year in one of these Q&As that you were the young forward he likes watching most. How do you take the praise from champions like him? 

I love Jezza. I definitely have based my game off him this year with the way he gets up the ground and beats opponents back. It means heaps to me hearing he can say that about me, especially at the start of the year when I wasn't going too well, that came out and I saw it and it made me feel a lot better and more confident. I definitely took something from it. Heaps of mates sent it to me because I've got lots of friends who are Geelong fans and it meant heaps coming from him. I know him personally a little bit but he's always good to chat with. Even on the footy field when we're playing he'll tell me what to do. 

Do you absolutely feel like you belong now?

I like to think that I do. I definitely still have heaps of work to do with my body work and in the gym which is going to come and then the experience of leading patterns. I feel like I'm belonging and I'm enjoying it, which is the main thing. We're winning games, we took a while to win three in a row but we did that last week and it's good footy. I feel like I'm back playing how I did in my under-18s games the way I'm enjoying it and handling the ball. 

How high do you set your sights about how good you want to be?

My goal is to be an All-Australian one day, obviously win a flag and I wouldn't mind a Coleman Medal as well. But we've got to share it – maybe it's rock-paper-scissors with Aaron Naughton or Sam Darcy as well, who is only going to get better and better. Individually I feel like I'm going alright. Last year I had a pretty good impact with my marking but I've changed my role which is getting up higher in the game. 

How do you guys manage the egos in a forward line with three high-marking, strong, goalkickers all wanting the ball? 

You can be tough on yourself if you see one of the boys dominating one week and then you haven't had a look at anything. But the way Aaron, Sam and I get along means we're just good mates and Aaron can have 20 touches and not kick a goal but he'll get around you and love you no matter what as long as we're winning. Sam is obviously competitive as well and is still learning on leading patterns that help us too, but that just takes experience. The way he plays is unbelievable and he can grab anything. I tried going one-on-one with him at training and it's that hard to defend him. I wouldn't mind us all kicking 40 goals each in one year which would be unbelievable. 

Often you're in the bay or doing boxing in the morning. What drives that? 

I just look at it like 'if we're all doing the same program then I'm not going to get better than anyone here' so I have to get that one percenter in. Sometimes I don't want to jump in the beach in the morning because it's freezing but I know how good it feels afterwards. And if I go to boxing in the morning before training when everyone is waking up then it makes me feel a bit better and I've got my tail up. I don't have an excuse to play badly on the weekend when I've done that, especially playing against really good defenders. I feel like I've done all the work, even though they've probably done the extra stuff too, but I like to think I've done more, which helps me. I've still got to compete for my spot in the AFL team. We've only got our names on the locker – we still have to compete for the spot. 

Last year also saw you involved in a defining moment as you lifted your jumper and pointed at your skin after you had been the victim of racism. Did it change your perspective on what your role can be in Indigenous work? 

In the moment it was definitely challenging and a hard time but as the weeks and months went on I felt if I didn't do that the AFL wouldn't have looked at it as much as we have – the way the AFL handled it, the way the Western Bulldogs have helped me and my family as well was good. I knew mum and the family would have been feeling terrible down there because they couldn't do anything and I'm her boy. The boys looked after me and when I kicked the goal and took a stand, the boys were unbelievable. I don't think that will ever happen again and hopefully it doesn't. 

What does the photo mean to you when you see it now?

I've pinned it up on my Instagram page, I loved it. I still love the photo. It means a lot to not only me but all the Indigenous boys. I had Brent Prismall (the Dogs' player welfare manager) come up to me and say 'My son did the same celebration that you did' because he didn't understand it. He just did it and lifted his shirt up and pointed at his skin and I thought even that's a conversation starter to stop racism. Like, 'Oh why did he do that?' and the conversations start in the families to educate the younger ones. 

You've spoken about wanting to win a premiership in your career and you saw it first-hand how close it was in 2021. How do those things sit in your mind as you guys fight for a finals spot now? 

Hopefully we can make the top-four. That's our main goal. And top-eight is definitely a must. We've knocked off the best teams in the comp and have beaten them by a little bit and are playing really well so if we can keep the consistency up we'll be unstoppable hopefully. We're going to put up a fight.