NORTH Melbourne's series of fadeout losses this season are more a mental problem than a fitness issue, star midfielder Daniel Wells says.
North led West Coast by 35 points late in the second quarter at Blundstone Arena last Saturday but couldn't stop the Dean Cox-inspired Eagles from snatching a two-point win in the dying minutes.
This followed the Roos' two-point loss to Port Adelaide in round eight, when they surrendered the game's final five goals to let a 32-point lead slip.
The next round they conceded nine of the last 11 goals against the Brisbane Lions to win by just 16 points after having led by 58 points early in the third quarter.
Speaking at Aegis Park on Tuesday, Wells admitted the Kangaroos "ran out of legs" in the last quarter against the Eagles and said the team's "high-speed" style of play was physically demanding.
But he said it had been a great effort to go so close to beating a top-four contender like the Eagles, who had relied on an extraordinary performance from ruckman Cox to steal the win in the dying minutes.
"It's definitely not a fitness thing. We've done all the work that's possible," Wells said.
"So it's probably a little bit of a mental thing, just sort of dropping off a little bit towards the end.
"But I think we've come a long way in the last couple of weeks."
North's loss to the Eagles was its third two-point defeat of the season and saw it slip from eighth on the ladder to 11th.
However, the Roos remain just percentage behind eighth-placed St Kilda, which heads a batch of five teams locked on seven wins. This group includes North's opponent this Friday night, Carlton.
Wells said key defender Scott Thompson trained well on Tuesday and should be fit to return against the Blues after missing the past two games with back soreness.
He also said ruckman Todd Goldstein had recovered well from the heavy knock he copped against the Eagles and would carry North's ruck division on Friday night.
Wells acknowledged there would be a lot of pressure on both teams on Friday night with the 'eight-point' game crucial to their finals chances.
But he welcomed the fact North's destiny was in its own hands, with its clash against the Blues followed by games against two of the other three teams battling for eighth spot, Richmond in round 17 and Fremantle in round 22.
Wells said North would put a good deal of pre-game planning into limiting the influence of Carlton midfielders Chris Judd, Marc Murphy (if he plays) and Andrew Carrazzo.
"Obviously Juddy's the one who we'll put the most work into but he's been a terrific player for a long time," Wells said.
"He's very hard to tag one-on-one. He's got all the attributes - he's strong, he's quick, he's a ball-winner.
"So it's going to have to be a team effort to quell his influence."
Wells said his body was holding up well this season after he was prevented from taking part in pre-season contact work as he recovered from blood clots in his lungs.
"The club managed me pretty well during that time. I did a lot of running and not so much weights because of my shoulder," Wells said.
"But my body's handled [it] pretty well to this stage; I can't complain."
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Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick
North Melbourne v Carlton
Friday July 13, 7.50pm
Etihad Stadium
