With a misfiring forward line and the toughest run-in of any likely AFL finalist, North Melbournes 2016 hopes are shot, right?Not so, according to coach Brad Scott, despite the Kangaroos latest setback against the Western Bulldogs.At Etihad Stadium on Saturday night North looked second best all evening, losing by 14 points in a low-scoring affair.Worse, key forward Ben Brown sustained a knee complaint that could see him join fellow spearhead Jarrad Waite (hip) in their treatment room.On the night, Scott wouldnt be drawn on his diagnosis, saying only team doctors were cautiously optimistic he had avoided a major injury.The forward told the Sunday Footy Show he was hopeful of avoiding a stretch out of the team.The first signs are pretty good. Nothing major I dont think, he said.In the marking contest, I landed and thought I was fine and took off to run and realised I couldnt push off.Got to go in and have the scans and see what happens.The Kangaroos can ill-afford another missing senior player, with 10 first-teamers already on their injury list.Scott Thompson also didnt play the last quarter as he received treatment for a groin issue, which Scott said was purely precautionary.Given whats up next the Kangaroos would want to have their physios working overtime.They face reigning premiers Hawthorn at the MCG next weekend, second-placed Sydney in Hobart and then fourth-placed GWS Giants at Etihad in round 23.Rather than be daunted by the fixture list, Scott said playing four top-eight sides in their final month was exactly the preparation for finals he wanted.Well learn a fair bit out of tonight. What we need to improve on, he said.Win, lose or draw the next three weeks were going to get some really good evidence where we need to improve and what were doing well.Sometimes theres a bit of fools gold when you have a big win.Tonight I thought we were outplayed. Well go back and look at that. Were going to get that sort of thing the next three weeks.Cheap Matt Albers Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. 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They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display.MIAMI -- Pat Rileys pitch to Miami Heat free-agent targets will include an optimistic view of Chris Boshs potential return to the court next season and the long-term stability of coach Erik Spoelstra, league sources have told ESPN.com.Bosh is making progress in his recovery from recurring blood clots that have cut short each of his past two seasons, according to a source with knowledge of Boshs condition. Both Bosh and the Heat continue to work toward the goal of having the perennial All-Star power forward available for the start of training camp, sources said.Neither Bosh nor the Heat have said publicly where Bosh is in his recovery or whether the 13-year veteran has continued a regimen of blood-thinning medication. Bosh was the Heats leading scorer and best 3-point shooter when he was sidelined at the February All-Star break and went on to miss the final 29 games of the regular season as well as Miamis playoff run into the second round.Boshs $23 million salary due next season will count against the Heats salary cap regardless of whether he plays, but that salary would come off the books in February if he is unable to play in a game next season and retires because of the medical condition. Last month, Riley said Boshs status was the X factor in determining where the Heat stood entering free agency.That is the difficult thing for me in evaluating how far weve come and how good we are, Riley said entering the summer. It really cant be answered. It can only be answered hypothetically if Chris was healthy. Then you would have a real idea, probably, about how everything would fit.Meanwhile, the Heat have determined that Spoelstra will be a long-term fit with the roster as the two sides finalize a contract extension that will keep the coach in place for at least the next three seasons. Spoelstra, 45, was set to enter the final season on his contract, but the team had always planned to extend a deal that would grant him a pay raise and increased role in personnel matters, sources said.Miami has roughly $42 million in salary-cap space, nine free agents to address and a Sunday meeting in New York scheduled in an effort to woo marquee target Kevin Durant to South Florida. Before then, the Heat must determine whether to offer center Hassan Whiteside a contract of $98 million over four years or let the top big man on the market bolt for another team eager extend him a max deal.Whitesides journey has been well-chronicled during his two seasons in Miami, where the former second-round pick of the Sacramento Kings landed after he initially washed out of the league and toiled through stints in LLebanon and China.ddddddddddddRiley recently met with Whiteside to set the course for free agency, but the NBAs leading shot-blocker has lined up sessions with the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers in the initial hours of free agency. Keeping Whiteside remains among the top goals for the Heat, but Riley is also prepared to pursue secondary options among a group of available centers that include Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Al Jefferson, Bismack Biyombo and Roy Hibbert.Whiteside, 27, said last week that loyalty to the Heat wouldnt be a major tipping point in a decision on his future he hopes will crystalize by Friday night. After earning the league minimum of $990,000 last season, Whiteside could command as much as $22 million in first-year salary on his next contract.I hope its an easy decision, said Whiteside, who finished third in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting and ranked in the top five in blocks, rebounds and field goal percentage last season. I find it flattering because in my past I was trying to call teams [for tryouts]. Now its the other way around.Franchise pillar Dwyane Wade, 34, has privately warned against taking him for granted and has not ruled out exploring opportunities with other playoff teams.Wade, who has spent all 13 seasons of his career with the Heat, has said for months that his hope is to remain in Miami his entire career. Wade also said he didnt foresee going through another difficult negotiation similar to the one last summer, when his agent and Riley eventually stepped aside as Wade and Heat owner Micky Arison met at Wades home to hammer out a one-year, $20 million deal.But I dont pay myself, Wade said last month after having played in 74 games, his most in five seasons.This offseason shapes up as the biggest free-agency period Riley and the Heat have faced since James left to return to Cleveland in 2014. Riley insists hes ready for another major offseason challenge, one that includes making the last currently scheduled recruiting pitch to Durant this weekend.Why wouldnt I be optimistic? Riley said recently of Miamis general free agency plans. Plus we have flexibility this year and next year. To me, the only way you can make a dramatic change in your team is to get a proven superstar, if you can, some way, through free agency. Every now and then, it happens. I think you have to look at it and you have to keep yourself a little bit of flexibility for that to happen. ' ' '