NORTH Melbourne midfielder Daniel Wells will spend at least two more weeks on the sidelines as he works to overcome a debilitating groin injury.
Wells has not played since round 11 and caretaker coach Darren Crocker was quick to rule him out of contention for Sunday’s clash with the Sydney Swans at the SCG.
“We just want to make sure that when we bring Daniel back, he is 100 per cent ready to go,” Crocker said from Thursday's training session at Trinity College playing fields in Bulleen.
“I had a good chat to him and just said: ‘Mate, I really want you to be 100 per cent when you come back. I don't want to rush it and have you play two or three games and then we are in the same situation’.”
Crocker said Wells had got through last week’s main training session in the hope of playing against the Bulldogs but pulled up sore.
“It’s just going to be something we’ve got to manage with him and the doctors and our conditioning staff,” he said.
“If we can get him back at some stage in the back half of the year, it’s going to be great, but we’re just not too sure when that will be.”
Wells ran laps of a separate oval as his teammates trained on Thursday.
Crocker said when at the top of his game, the 24-year-old would provide a similar boost to captain Brent Harvey, who was among North's best in his comeback against the Dogs on Sunday.
It was Harvey’s first game since round five when he dislocated his elbow.
“The guys would have got a big lift out of having him (Harvey) back leading the side last week,” Crocker said.
“He showed the great player he is with the way he came back from eight weeks off. I just know that Boomer’s looking forward to the next nine weeks.
“He just adds that leg speed and class factor. That’s why with Daniel Wells, it will be exciting to get him back at some stage [as well as] Matty Campbell.”
North could make up to two changes to the line-up that lost to the Dogs by 22 points. One will be forced with forward Ben Warren breaking his leg early in that match.
Crocker suggested Aaron Edwards, who kicked 3.4 and had eight marks for VFL affiliate North Ballarat, and Sam Power, who collected 36 disposals in the same side, were the most likely inclusions.
He added that midfielder Leigh Adams, who has not played an AFL game since round six, 2007, would need one more VFL outing under his belt to push for selection.
Adams had a knee reconstruction early last year and has suffered a couple of small setbacks since, but has spent the last two weeks with Werribee’s senior side.
