Courtesy of The Courier Ballarat

CLASS rose to the top as North Ballarat put Geelong away by 48 points in the Victorian Football League at a blustery Geelong on Saturday.

The Cats were persistent for a while, but the Selkirk Roosters showed who was boss with a six-goal second quarter.

North Ballarat did not give Geelong another look-in as it brought up a fourth consecutive win 17.9 (111) to 9.9 (63) and moved back into the upper echelon of the competition where as reigning premier its belongs.

North Ballarat head coach Gerard FitzGerald said his players had reaped the benefits remaining disciplined and well organised within the team structure.

He said greater efficiency had also been decisive in the outcome.

Geelong had more visits into the 50-metre arc, but was far less effective.

Forward defensive pressure had much to do with this, with forwards Corey Jones and Muchael Wundke, as well as Goodes, among the Roosters' leading tacklers.

The Roosters broke down Geelong with relentless defensive pressure in all quarters of the ground.

Geelong used the switch effectively to open up play, but it was achieved inconsistently as a sprightly Dan Feery, Matt Sharkey, Marc Greig, Shannon Watt, Myles Sewell and Tom Roach closed up the space and forced turnovers across half back.

They also played major hands in partnership with Goodes, Warren Benjamin and the ever improving Cruize Garlett to open the midfield.

Wundke, Bill Driscoll, Jacob Spolding and Josh Smith did the rest in an attack which is getting better by the minute.

In particular, Wundke made some big plays in the decisive second quarter, while Driscoll made one of the pockets his with two telling goals, one a candidate for goal of the year with a snap while tucked up on the boundary line.

It was efforts like this and crumbing goal by Spolding in a contest in which little was coming early that allowed the Roosters to steal a march before half-time.

Geelong could do nothing to stop Goodes.

He stamped his authority on the match early and in the third quarter it was Goodes and daylight in the honours for best-on-the-ground.

North Ballarat did get out to a 65-point lead with the opening five goals of the last quarter.

It was only the strong hands of James Podsiadly which allowed him to kick the last three goals of the day to trim the margin.

North Ballarat: 3.4 9.8 12.8 17.9-111
Geelong: 2.3 4.4 6.9 9.9-63

North Ballarat
Goal Kickers: J. Smith 3, J. Spolding 3, B. Driscoll 2, D. Chester 2, C. Jones 2, M. Wundke 2, B. Goodes, W. Benjamin, T. Cartledge
Best Players: M. Sewell, B. Goodes, O. Stephenson, C. Garlett, C. Jones, T. Cartledge

Geelong
Goal Kickers: J. Podsiadly 5, A. Varcoe, T. West, J. Laidler, J. Hollmer
Best Players: K. Tenace, J. Podsiadly, S. Hogan, D. Johnson, N. Djerrkura, J. Simpkin