AFL 2025 round three LIVE updates: Carlton Blues, Western Bulldogs battle it out in Friday night footy

Luke Beveridge is determined to focus on the Western Bulldogs’ encouraging start to the season rather than talking about troubled young gun Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

The former No.1 draft pick’s future at the Whitten Oval remains unclear as he sporadically trains with the rest of the group.

Ugle-Hagan will be sidelined until the 22-year-old can prove he has fully committed to life as an AFL player.

After speaking extensively about Ugle-Hagan during an interview with the Nine Network on Tuesday night, Beveridge wanted to switch focus.

“I had a fair bit to say on a rival network the other night about Marra, I probably don’t want to go into too much detail again in regards to him,” Beveridge said at the Whitten Oval on Thursday.

In the interview in question, Beveridge said the expectation around Ugle-Hagan’s movements at the club was “rubbery”.

He even admitted to receiving contact from people who have spotted the Bulldogs forward out in public.

Ugle-Hagan didn’t attend the club’s 100th anniversary game against Collingwood at the MCG last Friday night, and was instead at a pub.

His absence comes as a time when the Bulldogs have dealt with serious injuries to key players, including captain Marcus Bontempelli and reigning All-Australian Adam Treloar.

Bontempelli is making steady progress from a “complex” calf injury and is listed as three-to-five weeks away.

But Treloar suffered a “frustrating” setback with his own calf issues and might not play until the middle of the season, or later.

“He’s (Treloar) understandably flat and understandably emotional about it. I think we all are,” Beveridge said.

“We just want what’s best for Adam.

“When you consider the effect he had on the competition last year, All-Australian, and to not be able to play footy at all so far this year weighs pretty heavily on him.

“Some messaging (from a meeting on Thursday), he’s bounced out of it pretty well, and now we just set our sights for another month and a half away.”

The Bulldogs (1-1) will face under-fire Carlton (0-2) in an intriguing clash at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.

AAP