NORTH Melbourne has received a much-needed boost on the injury front, with several key players pushing for a return ahead of its final two home and away games. 

Tagger Ben Jacobs (foot) and defender Sam Wright (ankle) made successful comebacks with VFL affiliate Werribee on Sunday, albeit in carefully managed game time.

Jacobs played out most of the match and spent periods in the forward line to ease his workload, while Wright was rested from early in the third quarter. 

Playmaker Shaun Higgins (knee), who has not played since round seven, trained strongly at Arden Street last Wednesday and is also close to making his long-awaited return. 

The only downside for the Kangaroos injury-wise at the weekend was an ankle issue to defender Lachie Hansen. 

The 27-year-old hurt his left ankle after going back with the flight of the ball in a marking contest in the third quarter against Hawthorn.

Hansen was assessed at three-quarter time and returned to the field in the last term without a pronounced limp. 

Kangaroos coach Brad Scott said Hansen would be further assessed to determine whether his complaint was more serious than a suspected rolled ankle.

Key forward Ben Brown (knee) and Scott Thompson (groin) both missed the loss to the Hawks due to their respective injuries. 

In his second game back from broken ribs and a punctured lung, Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands suffered a gluteal strain and was rested in the early stages of the final term against Adelaide.

The 33-year-old received plenty of treatment over the course of the match and may be rested for the Dockers' penultimate game. 

Port Adelaide small forward Chad Wingard's season is over after he suffered a right hamstring injury in the second quarter against Melbourne.

The 23-year-old immediately clutched his leg as he chased the ball out of a stoppage situation in the second quarter.

Wingard limped into the rooms and later emerged with ice strapped around his thigh.

Power key forward Charlie Dixon appeared hindered by an ankle injury he has carried in recent weeks and may be rested in the final two games of the season. 

St Kilda ruckman Tom Hickey pulled up with a sore left lower leg/ankle against the Sydney Swans and spent quarter-time in the change rooms.

He returned in the second term and battled through with a pronounced limp, before his game ended prematurely early in the last quarter after receiving a knock.

Hickey will have scans to determine the severity of his leg injury.

Saints defender Sam Fisher was cleared of structural damage to his jaw after being taken to hospital following the loss to the Sydney Swans.

The 34-year-old first received treatment during the third term for a right hamstring tightness, only to be left dazed later in the quarter from the heavy collision with Swan Toby Nankervis.

Fisher was released from hospital on Saturday night, with the Saints to provide a further update on the backman's injury status on Tuesday.

Greater Western Sydney midfielder Adam Kennedy was concussed in a sling tackle from West Coast Eagle Simon Tunbridge in the last quarter.

Play was halted for several minutes as Kennedy was taken off on a mobile stretcher after landing head first on the ground.

The 24-year-old gave the home crowd the thumbs up as he left the field, and was spotted watching the thrilling final moments of the match from the boundary line. 

Kennedy was concussed earlier in the season against Adelaide in round 10, when he landed heavily on his shoulder and head after leaping over Crow Eddie Betts in a marking contest.

In other injury concerns at the weekend:

- Bomber Michael Hartley received a blow to his nose in a second-quarter marking contest against Gold Coast. The 23-year-old required stitches and played out the match with a bandaged nose.

- Magpie Taylor Adams received treatment on his corked left calf late in the second quarter. The 22-year-old was then crunched in a Jake Stringer tackle in the dying minutes of the game and hobbled off with a lower leg issue. 

- Giant Ryan Griffen needed treatment for a blood nose after receiving separate knocks against West Cost. He came off in the third quarter and played the rest of the match with his nose heavily bandaged. 

- Hawk Billy Hartung limped off in the last quarter after his right ankle/foot connected with Brent Harvey's shin as he went to kick the ball. Hartung returned to the field after a short spell on the bench and finished the game. 

- Hawk Taylor Duryea escaped serious injury when his left knee/leg became trapped under Kangaroo Majak Daw in a marking contest in the second quarter. Duryea hobbled off but later returned and got through the second half.

- Blue Patrick Cripps picked up a right knee complaint in a tackle from Brisbane Lion Mitch Robinson in the second quarter. The 21-year-old, who started the game with the same knee already bandaged, came off in obvious pain in the hands of trainers but began the second half on the ground. 

- Blue Jacob Weitering was left with a sore left wrist as he fell backwards in a contest in the third quarter, but last year's No.1 draft pick got through the rest of the match with no real concern.

- Magpie Darcy Moore escaped with just a cut and bruise when his forehead crashed into the advertising fence in a second-quarter marking contest against Western Bulldog Joel Hamling. Moore was sporting a bandaged head in the second half.

- Saint David Armitage had his right knee assessed after his leg became caught in a tackle from Swan Dan Hannebery, but returned to the field.