THE GIANTS have found their Mr. Clutch.
For the second time this season, James Peatling provided a couple of the game's biggest moments right when Greater Western Sydney needed it most during Saturday night's win over Melbourne.
Leading by just two points in the dying seconds, Peatling first nailed Alex Neal-Bullen with a fantastic chase-down tackle before catching Caleb Windsor with another clinching effort just moments later to seal victory for the visitors.
It followed a previous effort earlier this year, when Peatling took a last-gasp contested mark deep in defence to thwart a final St Kilda chance and seal a one-point win in Canberra.
"I guess I just keep finding myself in that right spot at the right time," Peatling told AFL.com.au after the side's victory over the Demons.
"I don’t know how it's happening, there's probably a bit of luck in there. But we back any one of our players to make the right decision whenever they're in those moments."
Peatling enjoyed his best game for the season in the side's victory over Melbourne, racking up 28 disposals, 18 contested possessions, eight clearances and 11 tackles in a bruising display.
Earning more midfield minutes in the absence of injured stars Stephen Coniglio and Josh Kelly, the youngster took his chance following a campaign where he's been in and out of coach Adam Kingsley's plans.
"It's been interesting," Peatling said of his season.
"Obviously, I've been the sub a little bit as well. That's OK. You feel fresh coming into the back end of the year. I think I've only been on in one game pretty early as the sub, so I'm feeling good. You just get used to it and you roll with the punches. It makes you better for the long run.
"I've tried to have as consistent a year as I can have. Whether that's at VFL or AFL level, I'm just trying to go in with the same mindset and perform. It doesn’t really matter what level I'm playing at, I just want to play good football.
"It's nice to string a few good ones together, but I don't mind whether it's in the VFL or the AFL. I just want to be trying to play the best footy I can at the moment."
Peatling has been named in the Giants' team 13 times from 19 games this season, but has only started six of them. Instead, he's been an oft-used tactical substitute for Kingsley and his coaching team.
Preparing for those matches can be difficult, given the 23-year-old is normally unsure of the exact moment he'll get on the field. But he's relished the chance for senior football this year, regardless of how it's presented itself.
"I probably don't build myself up much as it is, whether I'm playing a full game or as the sub. You've got to be ready at all times, but you also don't want to overdo yourself because you can burn yourself out," Peatling said.
"Especially if you sit there for three quarters on the bench before getting on. You can get out there and feel knackered as it is. It's a bit of a balance. I've gotten used to it, so you probably don't even think about what you're doing as much now."
The thrilling win over Melbourne was a fourth straight victory for Kingsley's side, ensuring the Giants moved to within 1.3 per cent of Carlton inside the AFL's top four.
Ahead of a pivotal clash with an in-form Hawthorn on Sunday, Peatling said the side's priority remains on putting together as many wins as possible between now and September.
"We want to be playing good footy every week," Peatling said.
"We had a month where we didn't necessarily have a great month. We're starting to build back into some good form. We'd love to keep playing well and take this into the end of the year.
"You've got to play your best footy at the end of the year. I feel like we have the belief that we can make some real inroads if we play at our best. We know our best is good enough."
