After a misdiagnosis and months of sitting around, finally North Melbourne star Daniel Wells has reason to feel optimistic about his persistent foot injury.
Wells has not played an AFL game since April 19, when he took on Collingwood in round five despite suffering an injury at training earlier in the week when a teammate trod on his right foot.
Wells pulled up sore and the club was upbeat he would be back in one or two weeks.
Two turned into three, and all of a sudden it's now 11.
"He was very frustrated, but he sees the light at the end of the tunnel now," Kangaroos coach Brad Scott said of Wells' Lisfranc injury, which was initially thought to be bone bruising.
"He feels like he's on the home stretch ... he has been frustrated, but now he's really optimistic."
Wells and Nathan Grima, who has been sidelined with a foot injury since round seven, loom large as the side's most significant long-term injury concerns in the final third of the season.
Scott suggested on Wednesday the pair had improved in recent weeks, but that it'd be foolish to rush either of them back.
"I feel a bit for our medical guys, because everyone in the industry wants a return date and a lot of time they have to guess," Scott said as his side prepared to tackle St Kilda on Saturday.
"My focus is on getting them back to full training. Then we can set a return date."
Jack Ziebell, who missed the Kangaroos' last-start win over Hawthorn due to a knee injury, faces a fitness test on Thursday.
"The way he looked on Monday I'm optimistic," Scott said of Ziebell's chances of playing in Hobart.
Seventh-placed North have a handy run to September, with Geelong being the only top-eight side they face in the final seven rounds.
But consistency is of more concern to Scott than breaking into the top four - starting with the weekend's clash with likely wooden spooners St Kilda.
"I still don't regard us as a genuine top-four side. One, because we're not there," Scott said.
"And two, because top-four sides consistently back up good performances and we haven't done that yet."
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