Greater Western Sydney remain undefeated after five games and it's fringe player James Peatling they've got to thank.
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The 23-year-old's courageous intercept mark in the dying seconds helped the Giants hold on for their one-point win - 11.14 (80) to 12.7 (79) - over the Saints on Saturday and stay on top of the ladder.
Peatling had the packed Manuka Oval crowd rocking when he picked off Josh Battle's forward bomb to the Saints' attack.
The Saints had kicked a monster bag of six goals to turn around their 35-point deficit and trail by a solitary point with less than a minute on the clock.
Battle launched the ball forward from just outside the centre circle towards first-year player Darcy Wilson but Peatling read the ball better.
In plucking the ball out of the air, Peatling had pulled off an intercept mark reminiscent of the work of Sam Taylor - the teammate he came on to replace.
All-Australian defender Taylor, the equal league leader on 23 intercept marks, had been stretchered off in the first quarter and taken to hospital after a sickening head clash.
"I guess there's a bit of irony there but anyone who is in that moment would have done the same thing - 'a next man in, when it's your turn to go, you go'," Peatling said on Monday.
"I was pretty fortunate that 'Pez' (Harry Perryman) was doing well behind me to not let me get absolutely killed."
Peatling's clutch mark may have shown coach Adam Kingsley his quality but he knows he'll have to do more to break into the side.
"I wouldn't say I've left my mark or anything like that," Peatling said.
"I've got a lot of work to do personally to be the player I want to become.
"I'm working in the right direction to that but I know a moment like that is not going to lock me in for the rest of the year."
Stephen Coniglio also left the match with injury after being tackled by St Kilda's Mitch Owen in the final term.
Coniglio feared he had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament but scans revealed the midfield bull had sustained a small medial collateral ligament tear instead.
The 30-year-old will return by the start of May at best.
Australian Associated Press
