Gold Coast has snapped a six-match losing streak against the GWS Giants thanks to three second-half goals from Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
Playing in his first home match for the Suns, Ugle-Hagan finished with three goals from just six kicks as the Suns ran out 11.17 (83) to 8.15 (63) winners at Carrara Stadium.
Ugle-Hagan said it was “amazing” to be back firing at the top level after missing all of last season due to a spate of off-field issues, which saw him traded by the Western Bulldogs to Gold Coast for a paltry return.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan kicked three goals in the second half to spark the Suns to a 20-point win. (Getty Images: Russell Freeman)
“To get another opportunity, a second chance, I’ve obviously been looked after here with Dimma [Damien Hardwick] just grabbing me [with] open arms and looked after me,” he told Fox Footy after the match.
Ugle-Hagan’s teammate Daniel Rioli described the football field as the star forward’s “happy place”.
“It’s been a long time since he’s been back here,” he said.
“He’s happy out on the footy field, this is his happy place, it’s freedom for him.“
The match also involved a bizarre slapping incident between Suns forward Ben Long and Giants midfielder Clayton Oliver, who starred with 32 disposals and nine clearances.
After Long gave away a free kick for a sling tackle on Oliver in the fourth quarter, the ex-Demon remonstrated, and then fell to the turf after exchanging jumper punches.
While Oliver was on the turf, Long seemingly mocked him for flopping, and put his hands on Oliver’s face, sparking Oliver to get back up and tussle again.
After Oliver stood up, Long slapped him in the face with his right hand, sending the Giant to the turf once again.
Earlier on Sunday, Malcolm Rosas Jr kicked a career-high seven goals as Sydney held off a fast-finishing Melbourne at the SCG as Brodie Grundy starred in his 250th game.
Elsewhere in the AFL, scans have confirmed St Kilda star Max King is set for another stint on the sidelines, this time due to a hamstring injury.
Look back at how all the action unfolded in our live blow below.
Key Events
AFL Sunday Scoreboard
That’s where we’ll leave things for tonight
I’m going to wrap things up here folks! Thank you for spending your time with Luke and I this weekend.
We’ll be back again on Thursday night for what should be an absolute belter in WA as Fremantle hosts Hawthorn.
That one is going to have a real finals feel to it. Look forward to seeing you all then!
Loading
A look at the AFL ladder at the completion of Round 8
All the results from Round 8 of the AFL season
Here’s how all of the matches this weekend panned out, in case you were wanting to catch up on the scores.
THURSDAY
Collingwood 15.3 (93) drew with Hawthorn 13.15 (93)
FRIDAY
Fremantle 17.12 (114) def. Western Bulldogs 15.12 (102)
Adelaide 11.10 (76) def. Port Adelaide 11.9 (75)
SATURDAY
Brisbane 22.11 (143) def. Essendon 11.13 (79)
Richmond 15.9 (99) def. West Coast 13.10 (88)
Geelong 21.9 (135) def. North Melbourne 13.8 (86)
St Kilda 16.12 (108) def. Carlton 9.15 (69)
SUNDAY
Sydney 19.17 (131) def. Melbourne 17.12 (114)
Gold Coast 11.17 (83) def. GWS Giants 8.15 (63)
Finally a routine game of football
I assumed this would go down to the wire when I saw Chris blogging it – seems the Suns haven’t read the script and gone for the win… Thanks Chris, see you next time.
– Mike
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, Mike. I need them.
FT: Gold Coast 11.17 (83) defeats GWS Giants 8.15 (63)
The Suns are back on the winners list and they end a six-match losing streak against the Giants!
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan the big story from the second half of this one, with the ex-Bulldog kicking three goals in the win in what was also his first home game for the Suns.
“To get another opportunity, a second chance, I’ve obviously been looked after here with Dimma just grabbing me [with] open arms and looked after me. It’s amazing,” Ugle-Hagan tells Fox Footy after the match.
“It’s been a long time since he’s been back here,” his teammate Daniel Rioli adds.
“He’s happy out on the footy field, this is his happy place, it’s freedom for him.”
If the Suns can get Ugle-Hagan somewhere back near his best, he and Ben King are going to be a dynamic duo to be reckoned with.
Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca share a big hug and a chat in the middle of the ground, both of the ex-Demons were excellent today for their respective sides.
Oliver finished with 32 disposals, nine clearances and nine score involvements, while Petracca had 29 touches, nine score involvements, eight inside 50s and two goals.
Toby finally gets on the board for GWS
Toby Greene with a really good goal, snapping in heavy traffic, but it’s a case of too little, too late for GWS.
Just two minutes left and the margin is 19 points. I think it’s safe to say this one is done.
Jamarra puts the nail in the Giants coffin
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has three goals for the match now!
Like King earlier in the quarter, Ugle-Hagan also traps a Giants player dawdling with the ball inside defensive 50, and that’s holding the ball.
He goes back and nails the set shot from 35m out on a slight angle and holds his arms out like the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.
What a night for Jamarra and the Suns!
Long slaps Oliver in the face after 50m penalty
Woah, woah, woah what is going on here!
Ben Long gives away a 50m penalty after a sling tackle on Clayton Oliver.
Oliver gets up to remonstrate and Long looks like he collects Oliver a little high on a jumper punch, but Oliver’s also flopped there.
Long tells him as much, putting his hands on Oliver’s face with the Giant’s back on the turf. He then gives Oliver a slap on the cheek as well, and Oliver flops again.
I’m not sure how much of that was real, and how much of it was playful but it made for some interesting viewing.
We’re into the final six minutes now. Time running out for GWS.
Bedford gets a kick reply for the Giants
Hang on a minute, maybe that was an early crow!
Jake Stringer again making things happen. He holds off a John Noble tackle with brute strength for long enough to get a kick away and the ball falls into the path of Toby Bedford.
Bedford snaps truly from 25m out on a slight angle.
The Giants need consecutive goals to make this thing really interesting.
There’s 10 minutes left on the clock.
Jeffrey with a potential backbreaker for the Suns!
What is with the Suns and these long-range finishes tonight!
Leo Lombard hits up Joel Jeffrey with a nice kick a hair inside 50.
Jeffrey shapes up for the set shot, and makes contact from well outside 50 and he’s flushed it through the middle as well!
As is common nowadays, Jeffrey is rotated off the ground after kicking the goal, and continues his goal celebration all the way to the interchange bench. Brilliant finish!
Stringer’s snap keeps the Giants in the hunt
Jake Stringer gets in on the act with a lovely snap!
Good work from Clayton Oliver, who found Stringer with a handball over the top, and Stringer doesn’t even look at where the goals are, but just puts his head down and snaps, and snaps truly.
Stringer now GWS’s leading goalkicker for the 2026 season.
The margin is back to 19 points with 14 minutes left on the clock. There’s still time for the Giants to make a good fist of this.
King strikes after brilliant tackle nets free kick
Excellent forward 50 pressure from the big man!
Jack Buckley with not enough awareness there on just how much pressure he was under, and he gets mown down by Ben King 10m out from goal.
King goes back and snaps truly from an acute angle to give the Suns a game-high 24-point lead.
Giants right back in the danger zone to start the final term.
That’s the Suns’ 12th forward 50 tackle of the night.
Angwin ruled out as final quarter gets underway
GWS’s Ryan Angwin has failed a concussion test after coming off the ground midway through the third term.
We’re off and running in the final quarter here in Carrara. Gold Coast looking to snap a six-game losing streak against GWS.
Can Toby Greene inspire his side to a comeback win in the final term?
A word on the playing surface
Bad looking turf out there
– JT
Yep, you’re right JT, it’s looked really, really patchy out there.
Thankfully no one’s gotten injured so far. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
3QT: Gold Coast 8.13 (61) leads GWS Giants 5.13 (43)
Toby Greene belts the ball away in frustration with his boot after fumbling a mark on the siren!
Greene would’ve had a chance to have a set shot on goal from around 50m out after the siren, had he taken that mark.
It’s been that kind of night so far for the GWS skipper, who’s managed just nine touches and 0.2 through three quarters.
Greene was flattened in a marking contest in that quarter after receiving a big bump from behind by Mac Andrew. I wonder whether Andrew will have a case to answer for at all.
The Giants aren’t fully out of this one, but it also feels like they’re one goal away from being fully out, that is how finely things are placed.
Gold Coast kicked 4.5 to 2.3 in that quarter to take a three-goal lead into the final change, but will know this match is far from being completely wrapped up.
John Noble is now the leading ball-winner on the ground with 27 touches, while GWS duo Clayton Oliver and Lachie Whitfield aren’t too far behind him with 26 apiece.
The Suns hold a 45-34 lead in inside 50s and the Giants have a 28-24 lead in the clearance count.
Noble unleashes from long range to snap Giants run
John Noble has absolutely FLUSHED this!
He takes a mark right on the 50m arc and goes back for a set shot, and the ball sails right through the middle.
Noble’s been an excellent acquisition for the Suns hasn’t he?
He’s now up to 23 disposals and 587m gained along with that goal.
Stringer’s trickery sets up Hogan’s first goal
Lovely work from Jake Stringer on the goal line!
He manages to keep the ball in play after a Mac Andrew fist and then fakes out Oscar Adams beautifully before handballing over the top to Jesse Hogan for the easy goal from inside the square.
GWS continues to hang around, margin back to 12 points.
Angwin concussed after head hits turf in tackle
Ryan Angwin is in a bit of strife here as he comes off the ground with the aid of two trainers.
Adam Kingsley has left the coaches box to come down onto the ground to take a look as well.
Kingsley was wrapped up in a tackle from behind by Sam Clohesy and his head thudded into the turf.
I wonder whether Clohesy will have a case to answer for from the MRO for that one…
Gothard gets a goal out of nowhere for the Giants
Phoenix Gothard gets a much-needed goal for GWS!
He gets on the hand of a lovely little handball from Harvey Thomas and snaps it home off one bounce.
He’s very lucky he’s gotten a good bounce there because that ball was so very close to the right-hand goal post.
There’s a bit of a wait to see whether the ARC needs to check this, and Gothard nervously tugs onto the top of his jumper as he waits, but it’s eventually awarded.
Leave a Reply