Harry Himmelberg was playing his first full season in the forward line.

Having switched between defence and forward in his first couple of years on the list, 2018 marked his full transition to the attacking end of the ground, teaming with fellow talls Jeremy Cameron and Jon Patton.

But in the later stages of the season, with Cameron serving a five-game suspension and Patton ruled out for the year after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament, the 22-year-old suddenly found himself a key focal point in the GIANTS’ attack.

Fellow forward/ruckman Rory Lobb had also been sidelined with a rib injury, but was able to come back earlier than expected to help share the load.

The pair guided the GIANTS’ depleted forward line superbly through a tough period and, in round 19 against St Kilda, Himmelberg was sensational, booting a career-best four goals.

“Jeremy was a couple of weeks into his suspension, and Jonny unfortunately had injured his knee, so we were a little bit cut down as far as tall timber coming into the game,” Himmelberg told GIANTS TV.

“We got Rory back that week after his ribs – he came back a couple of weeks early, actually. I was in his ear about coming back a little early to give me a hand, which really helped.”

There were few indications early in the game at Sydney Showgroud Stadium, however, that such a strong performance was about to unfold, with Himmelberg having a quiet opening term.

“I don’t think I touched the ball in the first quarter – me and Toby (Greene) both didn’t touch the ball in the first quarter. So we were looking at each other thinking maybe we weren’t going to get a touch all game.

“Then in the second quarter, I got a nice little cheapie off ‘Lids’ (Brett Deledio).”

The GIANTS veteran had bombed the ball from outside 50 and, while it was on-line, it was dropping low as a Saints defender closed in on the contest, so Himmelberg took the mark in the goal square and duly converted for his first.

“There’s debate about whether it would’ve gone through or not,” Himmelberg said wryly. “But I decided to play the safe one and mark it in the square, like a forward should.”

As if to prove distance was no worries, he later launched one through from just beyond the 50m arc.

“I knew I could kick that far, but the accuracy was going to be the hardest part. I just tried to keep my head over it and gave it a little ride, and I suppose I got a little bit lucky on the day that it sailed through,” Himmelberg said.

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The 2018 season was a breakthrough year for Himmelberg, who more than doubled his career tally of games, appearing in all 24 of the GIANTS’ matches for the year.

His durability was a blessing for a team struck with host of injuries over the course of the season, as he cemented his spot in the forward line.

“It was hard to get that continuity through the year because we had so many personnel changes, but I suppose that just added to the resilience that was shown by the whole group as far as injuries and stuff like that,” he said.

A Season Defined is a nine-part series, taking a look back at some of the key moments from the GIANTS’ rollercoaster 2018 season.