Wells tracking nicely but still on edge with calves
DANIEL Wells is on track to be a more-permanent member of the Collingwood midfield in 2018, but remains acutely aware he is just one wrong move from re-injuring his dodgy calves.
Wells, 32, is injury free and tucking into pre-season training with the Pies, but is taking a cautious approach given his recent injury history.
Last December he was steadily preparing for his Magpie debut before pinging a calf and enduring a wretched run in his first season at the Holden Centre.
Last year’s pre-Christmas hiccup was the last thing Wells or the Pies needed, the blow severely hampering his preparations for 2017. He then re-injured a calf in Round 11, with the setback putting the slows not only on the former Kangaroo, but also the Pies’ season.
“There’s still the unknown,” Wells said of his calf worries on the Pies’ website.
“You can put as much work (in) as possible but still at times you can get caught on the wrong angle and it can go.
“But I haven’t felt it at all, I’ve felt pretty strong and it’s the least of my worries at the moment.”
Wells managed 10 matches in 2017, with his presence seemingly a barometer for Nathan Buckley’s team, play- ing in eight of his club’s nine wins. His 34-disposal, threegoal game in the Round 19 draw with Adelaide — which earned him three Brownlow votes — highlighted his ability to impact games.
Buckley and Pies fans will need the 253-game veteran’s body to stand up if the club is to make a play for September.
Wells said he remained wary of the ease with which he could again find himself confined to rehab.