NORTH Melbourne midfielder Daniel Wells is ahead of schedule in his recovery from osteitis pubis but will remain on a cautious rehabilitation program.

Wells, 24, had end of season surgery on the troublesome groin that kept him to just seven games in 2009.

He was given the green light to commence running in the first week of December and performed much better than he anticipated.

However, in an attempt to permanently shelve the debilitating complaint, he will still enter 2010 on a strictly modified program and sit out the NAB Cup.

"It's a good step, a positive step," he said this week.

"It's been frustrating but with the injury I had last year and the season I had, I'm pretty keen to get it right.

"I'm not rushing it too much. The boys are training super hard so I know I've got a lot of work to do."

Wells is confident the surgery and rehabilitation have put him in the best position possible to move on from the injury.

He also says he has increased his body size from his 2009 playing weight of 78kg after spending much of the pre-season in the gym. 

The 2003 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee believes his current program won't change despite his early graduation into running drills.

"It's a set time on when I'm going to train and that's what I'm going to stick to," he said.

"It might get a bit frustrating when I get a bit closer to it but I've got to make sure I don't push it too hard."

Wells, who is facing his eighth season at Arden Street, agrees the club is entering a new phase with rookie coach Brad Scott and a new training facility.

He also said he looked forward to playing alongside the Kangaroos' newest midfielders, draftees Ben Cunnington, Ryan Bastinac, Jamie Macmillan and Brayden Norris.

"Hopefully I get a bit of a chop out from them," he joked.

"We're looking for these young kids to come in and give it their best shot and have an impact straight away.

"The game is too quick to wait a couple of years before they start playing and we're confident we can get a lot out of them pretty early."