Lachlan Hansen could be left out of the North Melbourne team that will take on Adelaide this Sunday because of his lack of match conditioning says Roos coach Brad Scott.

Scott told reporters on Monday that Hansen was finally ready to resume full training after being nursed through the pre-season following surgery on both hips.

The key defender has not played a pre-season game this year but shapes as a vital player for North while Nathan Grima (back) is sidelined in the early part of this season.

Hansen would give North much-needed height and experience on Sunday against a Crows forward line that is likely to be stacked with talls Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins and James Podsiadly.

"He's certainly ready to get into full training so we'll have to make an assessment on how he trains (and) his level of conditioning because it won't be match conditioning," Scott said.

"So we'll have a choice to make there, I suspect. I think he'll be medically cleared to play but that doesn't mean that the coaches tick off that it's in our best interests to play him.

"But the good news for us is he's getting really close to being available."

Fellow defender Scott McMahon pushed his case for selection following an impressive performance for Werribee in a VFL practice match.

The veteran found good form against Box Hill at Arden Street on Friday afternoon, directing his younger teammates and providing regular rebound out of defensive 50.

McMahon played out most of the game before being rested in the fourth term.

The key defender played just one NAB Challenge match for the Kangaroos this pre-season – against Adelaide in Port Lincoln – and his return could be crucial to North Melbourne’s chances of silencing a potent Crows forward line which ranked third in the competition last season.

Roos draftee Ed Vickers-Willis, who appeared in his second practice game for Werribee, also impressed and could come under selection consideration for the Round One opener.

Meanwhile midfielder Daniel Wells is confident he has put injury worries behind him after a 2014 campaign dogged by a persistent foot injury.

Wells played just 10 games last season, but moved well in his two NAB Challenge appearances to kick off his 2015 campaign.

“It’s been a good pre-season, a smart pre-season and we’ll just have to wait and see how it (the foot) goes,” he said.

“The foot feels much better and I’ve been able to get some good run through my legs.”

Wells stepped down from North Melbourne’s leadership group at the end of last year for family reasons and will be key to the Roos’ chances of victory in Sunday’s clash with the Crows.