Fit-again big man Rory Lobb has become one of Greater Western Sydney's most important players during a stretch of the AFL season that could make or break their finals hopes.
Jon Patton's season-ending knee injury and Jeremy Cameron's suspension, which still has four games to run, have severely depleted the Giants' key forward stocks.
It coincides with a difficult clump of critical games against fellow top-eight teams. The expansion club face West Coast in Perth on Sunday, tackle Richmond at home then Port Adelaide away.
Lobb, who himself has endured a stop-start season because of back, knee and groin injuries, loomed large as the club's premier ruckman this year following the retirement of Shane Mumford.
But with Patton and Cameron both sidelined, Lobb and Harry Himmelberg are now the Giants' key targets up front.
It is a role that Lobb, who returned last week from injury to be GWS's leading goal-kicker in a win over Hawthorn, has embraced.
"I don't mind playing up forward. I've played up forward most of my career, so I feel really comfortable there," Lobb said earlier this week, speaking prior to Patton's setback.
"Obviously there's a lot of pressure on forwards to kick goals, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting outmarked.
"I wanted a few more tackles, but that'll come as I start running more.
"Dawson Simpson is going really well in the ruck, so we'll see how that goes and whether I play that back-up role."
Lobb's sudden recovery from a small fracture in his back has been one of few feel-good stories amid the Giants' injury crisis this year.
The 25-year-old was taken to hospital in an ambulance during round 12, with the club fearing he'd punctured a lung in a marking contest at Spotless Stadium.
Confirmation of a crack in his back was considered relatively positive news, but GWS still expected Lobb to miss at least a month of football.
Instead he returned in round 15, tormenting the Hawks' defence with three goals in the space of four minutes.
"I was surprised I could come back so early," Lobb admitted.
"It's not the most painful injury I've had, but maybe the most worried I've been about an injury.
"I had a lot of pain in my lower back. I couldn't breathe a little bit, I think all my muscles seized up."
Lobb insisted the Giants could shine without some of their stars, noting they've made a habit of it in recent years.
