AMID the celebration of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan's breakout game, there's one important Western Bulldogs goal that was overlooked in the thrilling 10-point win over Melbourne.
In just his 14th AFL match, 21-year-old Riley Garcia calmly slotted a goal from the boundary line to put the Dogs ahead.
"It was a pretty tight angle, I just backed myself on the run. I knew the pressure might have got to me if I took the set shot, so I thought I'd take the space," Garcia told AFL.com.au.
"Just slowed down, tried to kick through it, and I was pretty lucky it went through.
"To be honest, I didn't think we were going to claw back. It's amazing to get the win, it's a great feeling, everyone's up and about.
"We felt like we had the game on our terms, we just didn't capitalise during that third term. The belief was very strong and I guess we were just able to convert a few goals and get momentum."
Garcia was full of praise for Ugle-Hagan, who kicked a career-high five goals in a breakout performance.
"Incredible. It's amazing to see him get some reward for all the work he's put in behind the scenes. I think everyone's rapt for him. It's a nice display of talent he has, but the hard work is definitely there as well, which is good," he said.
"There's always a lot of support for Jamarra. Not many people know what it's like to be the No.1 pick, so we just support him, and it's amazing to see his talent."
After suffering damaged cartilage to a previously reconstructed knee earlier this year, Garcia has now played four games in a row at the top level, providing plenty of spark around the ground, and is keen to continue to be a part of the Dogs' push to the top eight.
"Personally, this year has been a little bit frustrating. I had a knee hiccup at the start of the year, so to be honest, I'm just happy and grateful to be back playing and enjoying footy," he said.
"The belief is definitely there. I guess we have to go week by week. We've got a few tough games coming up, so we'll look forward to Geelong in Geelong and put our best foot forward.
"There wasn't too much talk, I think everyone had their own fire in their belly, but we knew they are a solid team and we had to play our best footy, and we're grateful to play some good footy."
