Daniel Wells has taken a pay cut this year in a bid to ease Collingwood’s salary cap pressure.
The 34-year-old will play for a base fee plus match payments in 2019 rather than take the salary owed to him.
Manager Liam Pickering gave a little bit of insight into the mindset of Wells and how his selfless gesture will only be beneficial to the Magpies.
“He did (instigate it), which is good,” Pickering said on SEN Breakfast.
“It’s in his third year (with Collingwood), he wants to back himself in. He’ll still do well if he gets on the ground and plays all the games, he’ll be fine.
“Just to give a bit of help to the others and the cap problems that teams up near the top have.
“That was quite selfless of him.”
While Pickering admits Wells is not the first player to take this path, he did highlight the influence such an action can have on a playing group.
“If you say, who have been the best teams over the last 15 years, it’s been Geelong, Hawthorn and Sydney,” he added.
“Every one of them have done exactly the same thing. They manage their caps really well.
“They’ve got good relationships with the player agents. The players understand what they are trying to do, they’re all taking less.
“I think that’s why you have sustained success.”
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An injury-prone Wells has managed just 14 games in two seasons since crossing from North Melbourne, but at his best, is a definite inclusion in Collingwood’s best 22.
“I think he’ll break in,” said Pickering.
“He’s pretty special when he’s playing.
“He’s fully aware it will be harder but he will add something pretty different to that group.
“He can play in the forward line, he can play in the midfield, he can play on the wing.”
Pickering said he was "not sure" if Wells would play for the Pies in the JLT Community Series as he strives to reach full fitness ahead of the 2019 season proper.
