North coach backs star mid to make long-awaited return to senior football
DANIEL Wells could make his long-awaited return for North Melbourne this Sunday, with Roos coach Brad Scott saying he expected the star midfielder to be available for senior selection.
Wells has not played since round five after suffering a foot injury at training that was eventually diagnosed as a Lisfranc injury (when one or more of the metatarsal bones are displaced from the tarsus).
The midfielder returned for North Ballarat in the VFL last weekend, playing just over half a game before suffering a kick to the shin that ensured he took no further part in the game.
Scott told reporters on Thursday that Wells had merely suffered bruising to his shin and would be available for selection if he completed North's remaining training sessions ahead of its clash with the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.
"(Wells is) fine, no worries. He just got a kick in the shin so once you rule out a fracture it's just a bruise," Scott said.
"He trained two days after the game and he was running at full speed. If he trains well today (Thursday) he should be available.
"You can weigh up that we would have played him for an extra 15 minutes (before he suffered his bruised shin), but that's not going to discount him from selection."
Scott said Lachlan Hansen (hip) and Levi Greenwood (leg), who were late withdrawals from the Roos' win over Greater Western Sydney last Saturday, and Aaron Black (shoulder), who was substituted out of the Giants game, were expected to be fit to take on the Dogs.
Jamie Macmillan has been sidelined since round three after suffering a fractured fibula, but is expected to return in the VFL this weekend.
"We're starting to get closer to our full complement available," Scott said.
Scott agreed it was an ongoing condition, but was confident Hansen could manage it successfully through the remainder of the season.
"He didn't get an acute knock (to the hip), he's just had to be managed, he'll be managed again through training," Scott said.
"We would have liked him to play last week. We thought he'd be right but he was still a little bit sore, so it's not unusual for players at this time of the year to be managing injuries.
"But we want him back at this best so while I think he could have played last week at a pinch we want to get him back close to full fitness.
"That will be the attitude with Lachy for the rest of the year."
Nathan Grima, who returned from a long absence with a foot injury last Saturday, comes out of contract at the end of this season.
The key defender, who has played just eight games this year, told SEN radio on Thursday morning that he was nervous about his football future, but hopeful he could finish the season strongly and play on in 2015.
Scott said Grima, 29, was one of a number of out-of-contract players North had to make a decision on between now and the end of the season.
"We know that his best is really good, it's just been durability and his ability to get out there on a regular basis,' Scott said.
"We've got a few players out of contract that we've got to make decisions on and form and fitness will go a long way to helping us make those decisions."
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