July 17, 2026 — 1:47pmIn today’s AFL Briefing:Gold Coast Suns coach Damien Hardwick has explained the actions of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Mac Andrew after they were caught exiting a disabled toilet.Geelong’s premiership hopes have taken a hit with Max Holmes sent for surgery on Friday.‘Not a good look’: Hardwick opens up on Suns’ stars disabled toilet videoJon PierikGold Coast Suns coach Damien Hardwick said players Mac Andrew and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan acted inappropriately after the pair were filmed leaving a disabled toilet at Suncorp Stadium.Andrew and Ugle-Hagan were at last week’s State of Origin clash when the incident happened.Hardwick said on Friday the club had sought answers from the pair.“It’s not an incident, two guys walked into a disabled toilet – it’s inappropriate,” Hardwick said.“We spoke to them, and we understand it’s not a good look, and we asked the players what their response was, and we worked through that, and we believe what they said.“It’s one of those situations we spoke about. It’s not a great look using the disabled toilet. We spoke about that – it’s disrespectful to the accessible people that need it. So, we work through that and we move on.”Ugle-Hagan has sought to rebuild his AFL career without off-field drama in his first year with the Suns.His final season with the Bulldogs was marred by mental health issues, and even finding himself at the scene of a shooting at a Prahran nightclub.He did not play football at any level last weekend, and will also miss this weekend because of a calf issue. A decision on his future at the club will be made at the end of the season.“We think he’s a capable AFL player. This year was always going to be a pivot year to see where he’s at and where he responds, and we like what he brings,” Hardwick said.“We’ve just got to get him fit enough and strong enough to play AFL football. When you’ve been out of the game 18 months it’s hard, there’s not a harder sport in the world to come back and try and play when you’ve missed some time, so he’s working his way through that.“We’re going to have these niggles along the way that sort of pop up every now and then.Gold Coast Suns coach Damien Hardwick said Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Mac Andrew acted inappropriately.Getty“He’s had ankles, he’s had a calf, I think this is his second calf (injury). We’ve just got to make sure we’ve worked him through it and get him on the park because he can play the game. We just want to see more of it.”Andrew will have a key role to play against the Western Bulldogs at People First Stadium on Sunday, the Suns desperate to end a seven-game losing skid and keep themselves in contention for the wildcard round.“We spoke about some things we need to rectify. And, more importantly, we’re looking forward to response because we can sit there and talk about it as much as we want, but we’ve got to go out there and play the game we know we can play.”Having surgery: Star Cat Max Holmes was on crutches after Geelong’s win on Thursday night.AFL Photos via Getty ImagesHolmes sent for surgery in blow for CatsJon Pierik, Peter RyanGeelong’s bid for a top-six finish have taken another major blow, with Max Holmes undergoing ankle surgery on Friday, and in doubt for the rest of the season.The hard-running midfielder was hurt during Thursday night’s 27-point win over St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium.Holmes’ leg folded back underneath him as he was met by oncoming traffic when he charged through a stoppage in the fourth quarter, and he had to be helped from the ground.He was on crutches and wearing a moon boot post game, and went for further medical assessment.In a statement on Friday, the Cats said: “Following further medical assessment, Max Holmes will undergo surgery today to repair a right ankle fracture and syndesmosis injury. The club will provide a return-to-play timeframe following initial progress post-surgery.”The win over the Saints lifted the Cats’ record to 10-8 and ended a three-game losing streak, but they now face a challenging fortnight against Melbourne and Collingwood.The Saints have slipped to an 8-10 record, coach Ross Lyon ruing a slow start and the missed moments with his team’s inexperience in the midfield obvious at times as they overused handball early and didn’t handle the anticipated opposition pressure.“They took full toll, and we didn’t, and it was just some big moments that we didn’t quite take advantage of, and they capitalised,” Lyon said.“There were some good signs but some real frustrations. It all depends which way you want to look at it.”Lyon has backed full-forward Max King to make his long-awaited AFL return next week against North Melbourne.King hasn’t played since June 2024 due to multiple injuries, but Lyon believes that if King remains on the training track through the next week, then he will play next round.When asked what King had to do to play, Lyon gave a cheeky response.“Turn up,” Lyon said.Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.From our partners