THERE have been great expectations on Daniel Wells for most of his nine-year AFL career.
Their origins can be traced back to Wells’ first two seasons after he was selected by North Melbourne with the No. 2 pick in the 2002 draft.
So seamless and graceful was the midfielder’s entry to the AFL in 2003, he looked a champion-in-waiting.
Wells fanned the flames of those lofty expectations in his second season, when he won the AFL Coaches’ Association Best Young Player award and finished fourth in North’s best and fairest.
But, from there, many of his fans became critics. Despite a third placing in North’s 2006 best and fairest and three other top-eight finishes (2005, 2008 and 2010), many felt Wells wasn’t living up to his potential.
Mitigating circumstances, such as hip and groin problems that restricted him to seven games in 2009, were often given scant regard.
North coach Brad Scott put the expectations on Wells into perspective after the Kangaroos’ round-seven loss to Geelong this season.
He said if Wells lived up to the expectations those outside the club had of him, he would be "the best player we’ve ever seen".
Nonetheless, Wells’ form this year has been so good many critics are now fans again.
What has stood out is how well-rounded Wells’ game now is. Although he is best known as a classy, explosive, outside player, his inside play at stoppages has been elite.
His 15-possession first quarter against Gold Coast last Saturday night is a good example of the influence Wells has been having on games.
In the opening four minutes, he won two centre-square clearances, his long kicks into the Roos’ forward 50 leading to their second and third goals of the match.
He also worked back into defence to thwart Gold Coast attacks and ran back hard the other way, getting into the open to hurt the Suns with his precision kicking.
It was a quarter as dominant as Andrew Swallow’s 17-possesion first term against Adelaide a week earlier.
Wells didn’t drift out of the game either, maintaining his work rate throughout to finish best on ground with 33 possessions.
It continued his outstanding 2011 form that has him averaging a career-high 24.3 possessions a game. He also leads North for inside 50s and goal assists and is ranked second for contested possessions.
After the Suns game, Scott paid tribute to Wells’ emerging leadership qualities.
"We’re fortunate to have Andrew Swallow and Daniel Wells really leading the way for [Levi] Greenwood, [Ryan] Bastinac, [Ben] Cunnington, those type of players," Scott said.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
