The last time they crossed paths at AAMI Stadium, Chad Wingard asked his AFL idol Daniel Wells for an autograph.

But Wingard, in his debut AFL year with Port Adelaide, didn’t have a pen or paper.

“It was a bit awkward,” Wingard said of meeting North Melbourne star Wells.

“But after the game, he signed me a poster of him.

“It just showed that someone could go out of their way … he didn’t really know me – it just shows you how much he cares about everyone that supports him.”

The gesture confirmed Wells’ hero status for Wingard, then a young lad from Murray Bridge proudly linked to the Ngarrindjeri lands.

The next time they met, Wingard was at the Australian Institute of Sport – and he pestered Wells for a couple of photos.

“I have got photos on Facebook and stuff like that of him,” Wingard said.

“He has just been an inspiration for me.”

Wingard, an 18-year-old rookie, is starry-eyed at the prospect of returning from a shoulder injury and crossing paths with Wells, his “favourite player of all time”, when Port host North on Saturday in the AFL’s indigenous round.

“I have met him a couple of times but he wouldn’t remember,” Wingard said.

“He can play inside and out … the stuff that he can do is break games and change it, so that is one thing I have been trying to learn.”