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The Jamarra checklist: How the Suns can close the deal
SEN • October 9th, 2025 11:38 am
The Gold Coast Suns are at the forefront of the 2025 AFL Trade Period.
Following their maiden finals series, the Suns are far from complete in their list build, investigating all avenues to improve on their historically best season.
Having traded away midfielder Sam Flanders in return for Pick 7, the Suns, anchored by list boss Craig Cameron, have accumulated a rather desirable draft hand, holding four picks within the top 20.
And given their connections with a number of rival players, Gold Coast's hefty inventory leaves them incredibly well placed to service deals across the ongoing trade period.
The most intriguing of deals on the table for the Suns surrounds troubled Bulldog Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
The former No.1 pick failed to take the field in 2025, however there is no denying the 23-year-old’s talent, booting 43 goals in 22 games in 2024.
While a deal would be rather straightforward in prying Ugle-Hagan away from the Kennel, the issues invovle the forward's commitment to football, particularly following a year of turmoil.
“We were looking to see someone who was going to make a commitment to getting himself back to a position where he could play consistent football,” Craig Cameron told AFL Trade Radio.
“I’m talking about actually being able to get on the park and play consistent football. He met with our leadership group, he met with our Indigenous liaison officer Jarrod Harbrow, and obviously had a chat with the coach and myself.
“We’ve still got to run through some things with him – he hasn’t done a medical with us which he will do today, and we’ve got to speak to the AFL about a number of other things, and I’ve still got to get to his manager on what his contract and protections look like inside that.
“There’s a little bit to play out there, but we are progressing that.”
While a return to senior football would certainly be a story of redemption for Ugle-Hagan, Cameron and the Suns are far from interested in the narrative and are instead fully focused on the on-field impact that the forward can offer.
“Redemption is only one element to this,” Cameron said.
“The number one thing is, do we think that a fit and healthy Jamarra can help us as a footy club – that’s the number one decision we have to make.
“We believe that he can play again, he can play with our keys because he is a slightly different tall inside our forward 50. We don’t think he is a legitimate key position player, we just think he is a player with high forward craft and IQ, which adds a different mix.
“The redemption side of things… it’s a nice story, but the number one thing is that he has got to be able to come in and play football for us and play to a level.”
Despite mounting a return to training with the Bulldogs in the latter stages of 2025, Ugle-Hagan was not able to remain consistent in his commitment as he continued to battle with personal matters.
Cameron and the Suns believe that by removing Jamarra from the Victorian spotlight, finding his feet again at the level will be a far easier task.
He says the club's Indigenous liaison and former games record holder, Jarrod Harbrow, will have a key role to play in bringing Ugle-Hagan to the Suns.
“When answering these questions, sometimes it sounds like you’re beating your chest, saying our club can do something that other clubs can’t,” he said.
“What I’d like to say is that the Western Bulldogs is a really good football club, and nothing I’m about to say is meant to be any detriment to them in any way.
“I just think the fact that we are not in Victoria, and we are out of that football bubble and away from some of the elements that have taken Jamarra away from the path that he should be on is a good place for him to start to rebuild his footy career.
“We have a pretty strong Indigenous cohort within our playing group which I think will also help Jamarra. I have great confidence that Jarrod Harbrow will play a big role in that as well.”
Beyond Jamarra, star midfielder Christian Petracca has also requested a move to the Suns, with the club commencing talks over the Demons' asking price.
“We have had some preliminary discussions (with Melbourne),” Cameron said.
“I think that one will take a little while to work through, but I’ve had some discussions with Tim Lamb (Dee’s list manager).
“I think that Melbourne and we can sit down and work something out in the long run. We will keep all options open, but we’ve been pretty clear from the start of this trade period as to which players aren’t available.
“I’m not just talking about Melbourne – we’ve made a stance in one player in Bailey (Humphrey) - but we are pretty open to discussions with Melbourne as to which way they want to go.
“We think within our system, he can become that powerful player again. We’re particularly a territory side, so him winning ball at stoppage moving forward, playing a forward role within our structure; he’s not going to get back to what he was when he was 23 and 24, but we’ve got no doubt that he can come in and have a big impact.”
