When lone Essendon ruckman Tom Bellchambers went down with an injury in the third term, the responsibility sat firmly on forward Shaun McKernan’s shoulders.

And against all odds, with everything to play for, the big man was ready to be the hero.

Look back further and it was clear McKernan was up for the fight against Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium on Thursday; he had impressed throughout the game with his supreme confidence in the air and vicious attack at the packs.

When the huge task of taking on experienced Giant Shane Mumford in the ruck for the remainder of the game, you knew McKernan would give it everything.

Defender-turned-forward Cale Hooker also assisted in the ruck, and the pair would go on to not just hold their own on the ball, but also kick three goals between them in the final term as the Dons surged home to claim a stunning six-point victory with the season on the line.

McKernan said he thrives on taking responsibility head on and he was full of praise for Hooker’s matching ability to adapt to the challenging situation.

“Once it’s thrust on your shoulders, you just take it with open arms,” McKernan said after the win.

“I think ‘Hooksy’ did a great job as well to go from back to forward and then chop out in the ruck. He was great up forward, he obviously kicked two crucial goals and just created a contest, which we know he can do.”

Typically humble, McKernan – who racked up 12 disposals, eight marks (five contested), 19 hitouts, five inside 50s and two goals – played down his efforts but he admitted his ability to crash the packs helped his teammates feed off the contest.

“It was about creating a contest and bringing the ball to ground, I think that was my main focus, and to be able to take a few marks was just an added bonus.”

McKernan fought bravely in the ruck against powerful Giant Shane Mumford. (Image: AFL Photos)

The versatile tall said maintaining calm was the key for the Bombers who were confident they could chase down their star-studded rival despite trailing by 19 points with just over 12 minutes left on the clock.

“Being 19 points down with not long to go and for the boys to keep their heads. I think that was the main thing; the boys actually just kept their heads, stuck to the structure and stuck to their roles and I think that was the best thing about it.

“We always believed that we were right in it.”

McKernan put much of the victory down to a significant spike in pressure, a key focal point for the side after a disappointing effort against West Coast alongside the team’s poor performance against the Giants in round one.

The Bombers laid 79 tackles to GWS’ 57 on Thursday, with forward-half pressure proving particularly difficult for the generally smooth Giants to navigate.

“It was a big focus for us, we knew we’d dropped off that last week,” McKernan said.

“In particular in our forward half, at half-time we had about 11 or 12 inside forward 50 tackles, which is huge. We even out-tackled them by about 20-odd, so that’s a big win.

“For a team like that that moves the ball pretty well and they’re pretty clean in the contest, I think to bring that heat is important.”

The Bombers brought the heat against the Giants on Thursday. (Image: AFL Photos)

McKernan said the longer break between games ahead of next Saturday’s massive clash with Sydney had come at the right time after a tight schedule and last week’s trip to Perth.

He admitted there is a sense of revenge at stake against the Swans following the Dons’ somewhat controversial five-point loss to the side in round eight.

“After the performance we put up and for them to steal that one. We weren’t happy with how we played and we probably cost ourselves in the end, so it’s definitely one we want to try to peg back.”