Hugh McCluggage

McCluggage was raised in Allansford, Victoria and participated in the Auskick program thereAFL Record. Round 2, 2022. pg 61 before playing junior football with the Allansford Football Club in the Warrnambool District Football League. He later played for Hampden Football League club South Warrnambool. In addition to Australian rules, McCluggage also played junior cricket, hockey, and soccer.[https://worldyouth.org.au/fundraising/hugh-mccluggage NEPALI ADVENTURE HUGH MCCLUGGAGE] He attended secondary school at Warrnambool College, before finishing his final two years of school at Ballarat Clarendon College as a boarder.

McCluggage played senior Australian rules with South Warrnambool Football Club in the Hampden Football Netball League.[https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/sport/country-football/afl-draft-hughs-mccluggage-of-allansford-the-cream-of-crop/news-story/0bd65e53a359819c06d6f6ce85a90982 AFL draft: Hugh McCluggage, of Allansford, the cream of the crop] by Hannah Driscoll for the Weekly Times. November 16, 2016 He represented Vic Country in the AFL Under-18 Championships and played under 18 football with the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup winning the Morrish Medal despite playing only 10 matches.

He was drafted by Brisbane with their first selection and third overall in the 2016 national draft.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/brisbane/no3-draft-pick-hugh-mccluggage-is-excited-to-call-brisbane-home/news-story/3887e032494365046d1437e87cd45488|title=No.3 draft pick Hugh McCluggage is excited to call Brisbane home|author=Australian Associated Press|author-link=Australian Associated Press|date=30 November 2016|work=The Courier-Mail|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=9 April 2017}}

He made his debut in the thirty-one point loss against {{AFL StK}} at Etihad Stadium in round three of the 2017 season.{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/brisbane-lions/brisbane-young-guns-hugh-mccluggage-and-jarrod-berry-are-set-to-make-their-afl-debuts/news-story/e2148ed8e08ef57b6a0ddefb43b1fd5f|title=Brisbane young guns Hugh McCluggage and Jarrod Berry are set to make their AFL debuts|last=Davis|first=Greg|date=6 April 2017|work=The Courier-Mail|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=9 April 2017}} After the sixty point loss to {{AFL GWS}} at the Gabba in round 14, in which he recorded nineteen disposals, eight marks and two tackles, he received the round nomination for the 2017 AFL Rising Star.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-26/top-lion-draftee-mccluggage-bags-rising-star-nomination|title=Top Lion draftee bags Rising Star nomination|last=McGowan|first=Marc|date=26 June 2017|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Telstra|access-date=26 June 2017}}

In 2019 and 2020, McCluggage came third in the Merrett-Murray Medal, and he was runner-up to Dayne Zorko and Lachie Neale in 2021 and 2022 respectively. McCluggage also collected a career-best 14 Brownlow Medal votes in 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.lions.com.au/news/1224677/2022-brownlow-medal-wrap|website=lions.com.au|date=19 September 2022|title=2022 Brownlow Medal Wrap}} A maiden best-and-fairest award eluded McCluggage yet again in 2023, losing to captain Harris Andrews during a year in which the Lions made the grand final.{{cite web|url=https://www.lions.com.au/news/1446741/andrews-claims-merrett-murray-medal-to-be-crowned-lion-king-for-2023|title=Andrews Claims Merrett-Murray Medal to be Crowned Lion King for 2023|date=4 October 2023|website=lions.com.au}}

McCluggage was part of the Brisbane Lions 2024 premiership winning team, having 21 disposals and a goal in a dominant team victory.{{cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/1231476/lion-kings-chris-fagans-heroes-thrash-sydney-swans-in-grand-final-shock|date=28 September 2024|website=AFL|title=Lion Kings: Fagan's heroes thrash Swans in GF shock|first=Callum|last=Twomey|location=MCG}}

Updated to the end of the 2024 season.{{cite web|title=Hugh McCluggage|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/H/Hugh_McCluggage.html|access-date=30 September 2024}}

{{AFL player statistics legend}}

{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}

|-

| 2017 || {{AFL BL}} || 6

| 18 || 8 || 15 || 152 || 120 || 272 || 70 || 36 || 0.4 || 0.8 || 8.4 || 6.7 || 15.1 || 3.9 || 2.0 || 0

|-

| 2018 || {{AFL BL}} || 6

| 22 || 10 || 9 || 240 || 186 || 426 || 96 || 68 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 10.9 || 8.5 || 19.4 || 4.4 || 3.1 || 1

|-

| 2019 || {{AFL BL}} || 6

| 23 || 23 || 14 || 320 || 201 || 521 || 90 || 84 || 1.0 || 0.6 || 13.9 || 8.7 || 22.7 || 3.9 || 3.7 || 5

|-

| 2020{{efn|The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.}} || {{AFL BL}} || 6

| 19 || 8 || 21 || 219 || 136 || 355 || 70 || 52 || 0.4 || 1.1 || 11.5 || 7.2 || 18.7 || 3.7 || 2.7 || 4

|-

| 2021 || {{AFL BL}} || 6

| 24 || 15 || 22 || 407 || 193 || 600 || 123 || 89 || 0.6 || 0.9 || 17.0 || 8.0 || 25.0 || 5.1 || 3.7 || 10

|-

| 2022 || {{AFL BL}} || 6

| 24 || 20 || 18 || 341 || 251 || 592 || 127 || 116 || 0.8 || 0.8 || 14.2 || 10.5 || 24.7 || 5.3 || 4.8 || 14

|-

| 2023 || {{AFL BL}} || 6

| 25 || 13 || 13 || 327 || 231 || 558 || 117 || 91 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 13.1 || 9.2 || 22.3 || 4.7 || 3.6 || 3

|-

| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | 2024^# || {{AFL BL}} || 6

| 27 || 19 || 14 || 397 || 270 || 667 || 143 || 99 || 0.7 || 0.5 || 14.7 || 10.0 || 24.7 || 5.3 || 3.7 || 12

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan=3 | Career

! 182 !! 116 !! 126 !! 2403 !! 1588 !! 3991 !! 836 !! 635 !! 0.6 !! 0.7 !! 13.2 !! 8.7 !! 21.9 !! 4.6 !! 3.5 !! 49

|}

Notes

{{notelist}}

Team

• AFL premiership player: 2024

Individual

• 2× 22under22 team: 2019, 2020
• AFL Rising Star nominee: 2017 (round 14)

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{Brisplayer}}
• {{AFL Tables|ref=H/Hugh_McCluggage.html}}

{{Brisbane player squad}}

{{2024 Brisbane Lions premiership players}}

{{2020 22 Under 22 team}}

{{2017 AFL Rising Star nominees}}

{{2016 AFL national draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCluggage, Hugh}}

Category:1998 births

Category:Living people

Category:Brisbane Lions players

Category:VFL/AFL premiership players

Category:Brisbane Lions premiership players

Category:Greater Western Victoria Rebels players

Category:South Warrnambool Football Club players

Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)

Category:People educated at Ballarat Clarendon College

Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen

{{AFL-bio-1990s-stub}}