Western Bulldogs veteran Rory Lobb has denied allegations he is offside with young teammate Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
The claim was aired by journalist Sam McClure during Monday’s Footy Classified on Nine, who said the troubled Ugle-Hagan had to mend relationships with Lobb, coach Luke Beveridge, and captain Marcus Bontempelli.
Ugle-Hagan lived with Lobb and Lobb’s partner for several months last year, but McClure claims the pair have fallen out.
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Lobb took to TikTok on Wednesday to hit back at the story.
“I do like Jamarra, all those rumours aren’t true,” Lobb said in a comments section on a video.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and teammate Rory Lobb. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Former Essendon coach James Hird made a bleak assessment of the delicate situation facing Ugle-Hagan, suggesting there could be “no coming back” for the former No.1 AFL draft pick at Whitten Oval.
“If you’ve lost the trust of the coach and the captain, it sounds like there’s no coming back,” Hird said.
“You might lose the trust of the coach but the captain is on your side. But if you’ve lost the trust of both, it’s very difficult … Trust is the one … If you’ve broken the trust over and over again, I don’t see them coming back.”
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan of the Western Bulldogs. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Rumours of Ugle-Hagan continually failing to live up to the Dogs’ standards of professionalism have been running rampant in recent weeks.
Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire added weight to those whispers surrounding the 22-year-old, who was taken with pick one in the 2020 draft but has since only shown glimpses of the generational talent he was thought to be.
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“Last year in the finals he was out and about before the Western Bulldogs played Hawthorn [in an elimination final]. [He] got four touches in that game,” McGuire said.
“Coach was absolutely filthy, captain was absolutely filthy.
“And he’s had a big summer off the field.
“Some say maybe they need to put a red rope out the front of Whitten Oval to get him to turn up.”
McClure reported on Monday night’s show that Ugle-Hagan had “trained fully” over the past three weeks, but said his relationship breakdowns with Beveridge, Bontempelli and Lobb meant physical conditioning was not his only concern.
The Dogs will open their premiership campaign against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium next Saturday night, but Ugle-Hagan will almost certainly not take to the field.
“I’m being hard on him,” McGuire added, “because I’ve really liked Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, and I’m watching a kid just ruin his opportunity for something that’s never going to come around again.”
