Daniel Wells says he has no regrets playing hurt to help Drew Petrie celebrate his 300th game for North Melbourne

NORTH Melbourne star Daniel Wells says playing hurt last week was worth it just to see Drew Petrie savour a win in his 300th game.

Kangaroos Jed Anderson, Daniel Wells and Lindsay Thomas in the team’s new indigenous guernsey. Picture: Colleen Petch

NORTH Melbourne star Daniel Wells has no regrets about returning to the field nursing a corked quad in the dying moments of last week’s win over St Kilda, saying the rewards of seeing Drew Petrie savour a win in his 300th game was worth the pain.

Wells won’t play in Saturday’s clash with Essendon at Etihad Stadium, but is confident he will be right to resume against Carlton in Round 9.

The 30-year-old willed himself back into the contest last week when the game was in the balance. He made a game-defining smother when the Saints looked set to take the ball forward and his desperation in the final few minutes played a role in the club’s gritty win.

“I’ve got no regrets,” Wells said. “I copped a really bad cork in the left quad in the third quarter and the (medicos) told me to stay on the bike the whole time.

“Sitting back on the bike, you can see the game unfold. You are thinking about Drewie’s 300th game, and it was such a tight match. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to come back on, but I was lucky enough to do it and make an impact.”

Kangaroos star Daniel Wells models the new indigenous guernsey. Picture: Colleen Petch

Wells said he was lucky that the ball was near the interchange bench at the time, and he saw Jack Ziebell coming off for a spell. He jumped at the chance to come back on to help the side, saying the team-first approach is a theme associated with the club right now.

“We were all going to work as hard as we could as a team for Drewie,” he said. “He is the ultimate team player.

“He has done so much for us and contributed so much to the team over the years.

“To get the victory for him and for the team, that’s something we had to work so hard for because the Saints are a very good young side. He will be able to look back and say we got a win in his 300th game.”

Wells modelled the club’s new indigenous “Bloodline” jumper, along with teammates Lindsay Thomas and Jed Anderson, with artist Sarrita King and her sister Tarisse creating a design that incorporates the Aboriginal flag and Torres Strait Islands flag on the front.

“Sarrita and her sister have done a great job with it,” he said. “It was Lindsay’s idea to get the two flags on the front. We’re really happy with the jumper.”

Wells is confident he will only miss one game, saying luckless run with injury in the previous two years has made him more desperate to play than ever.

“I am trying to make every post a winner now,” Wells said. “I just love playing and training, and being a part of the team again.”

“I don’t even think about it (last year’s Achilles injury). It feels like a lifetime ago for me.”

Originally published as Daniel Wells says he has no regrets playing hurt to help Drew Petrie celebrate his 300th game for North Melbourne