NORTH Ballarat dealt the Bendigo Bombers a crushing blow in the Victorian Football League at Stawell yesterday.
The Bombers went into the "Battle of the Goldfields" buoyed by the presence of Essendon duo Scott Lucas and Brent Prismall.
However, other than a Lucas-led 11-minute burst in the opening quarter which produced four goals, the Selkirk Roosters dominated to run away 23.13 (151) to 9.6 (60).
Lucas managed four goals for the day from full forward in an enthralling duel with North Ballarat skipper Shaune Moloney.
Overall though, he rarely had the opportunity to stamp his authority on the game and persuade the Essendon hierarchy that he was ready for a recall.
Instead it was Brett Goodes who was the standout performer.
Goodes was the impetus for an eight-goal opening term by North Ballarat.
With zinc cream blazoned across his nose, the onballer led the Bombers on a merry chase as he laid the foundation for a 31-possession match.
Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald had been concerned about leg speed, but there were no such problems this time.
However, even after the first quarter burst, FitzGerald was still wanting a greater effort from his players.
Bendigo tried everything to smother the Roosters, including throwing numbers back in the third term.
It was only in the last term when the Bombers threw caution to the wind and opened up the game that North Ballarat lost its structure and strayed from its disciplined game plan.
This resulted in unforced errors and the Roosters taking 16 minutes to add to their goal tally.
They finally broke the shackles with a late flurry of three majors, but nothing was ever going to take the gloss of this performance.
The 91-point victory not only thrust North Ballarat up five positions to fifth, but just as importantly lifted its percentage from a lowly 78.7 to a respectable 109.5.
Tristan Cartledge was another big plus out of the match while Josh Smith also returned to something like his best with six majors.
North Ballarat 8.4 13.6 19.10 23.13-151
Bendigo Bombers 4.0 6.4 6.6 9.6-60
North Ballarat
Goal Kickers: J. Smith 6, B. Goodes 3, M. Sewell 2, C. Jones 2, J. Spolding 2, C. Garlett 2, C. Richardson 2, M. Wundke 2, B. Driscoll, M. Searl
Best Players: B. Goodes, M. Searl, J. Smith, M. Sewell, C. Jones, B. Driscoll
Bendigo Bombers
Goal Kickers: S. Lucas 4, C. Bock 2, B. Holmes, S. Davies, T. Slattery
Best Players: J. Bristow, T. Slattery, M. Quinn, S. Lucas, P. Scanlon, C. Boc
