An emotional Jamarra Ugle-Hagan will make his Gold Coast Suns top-flight debut on Saturday against Hawthorn in Launceston.
The former No.1 draft pick joined the Suns in the off-season from the Western Bulldogs after not playing a game last year due to off-field issues.
“It’s been 596 days since his last AFL game,” Hardwick said on Thursday in confirming the 24-year-old forward’s weekend selection.
“It’s an incredible story … he’s done a power of work for us, we’ve made him earn it and we’ve been so impressed by what he’s brought.
“We told Jamarra in front of the playing group this morning, and I’m not going to lie, there was a tear from player and probably the coach as well.
“A lot of people have done a lot of work with Jamarra to get him the opportunity to make his club debut.
“We’re excited about what’s he going to offer. We’re not expecting a world-beating performance, but what we do know is we think this kid is going to be a big part of our future moving forward.”
Ugle-Hagan overcame a leg injury to kick five goals for Gold Coast’s VFL team last weekend.
“We know what he can do offensively, but we’ve been really impressed with his defence and his combativeness in the contest as well,” Hardwick said.
“He knows some things that we’re after in his game to get better. He’s not going to be perfect.
“The offensive flair is just always there. That’s the way he’s played, but the way he’s bought into our Suns mentality of how we want the game played, especially from our forwards, has been evident.
“He’s also a great teammate. The players love him, and the players love being around him. He’s going to add to our forward craft, no doubt about that, but more importantly, he’s going to add to our group.
“A lot of people have done a hell of a lot of work with this young lad to give him the opportunity.
“The Gold Coast Suns Football Club should be commended for giving this young man an opportunity.
“It’s his story to write. He gets a second chance. He’s been through his ups and downs, but more importantly, he’s got a long career in front of him.”
The Suns will chase their fifth win of the season when they meet the Hawks, who have only lost one from six in an impressive start to their 2026 campaign.
“What we do know is that Hawthorn are a very good side, well coached, well drilled and very hard to beat on a Tasmanian deck where they play three or four games a year,” Hardwick said.
“We probably go in as underdogs, but there’s no better place to be.”
