The Selkirk Roosters silenced Cats fans by kicking 29.10 (184) to 7.10 (52) - their biggest winning margin in the VFL.

It bettered a 121-point victory over Bendigo in round 18 in 2001.

The Roosters kicked 28.15 (183) on that day.

North Ballarat also equalled its highest score since joining the VFL in 1996, matching the 28.16 (184) kicked against Werribee in a 2006 elimination final.

Although Geelong is nowhere near the outfit which secured last year's VFL flag, it was the manner in which North Ballarat crushed the Cats that was most impressive.

North Ballarat was not just content to take the points.

The Roosters completely put Geelong away.

The North Melbourne-aligned North Ballarat now goes to its last mid-season break with a great foundation from which to launch a tilt at its first VFL premiership.

North Ballarat has played in the past two finals series, but in neither of those two years - the first under the guidance of Gavin Crosisca and last season with incumbent Gerard FitzGerald at the helm - did it impose itself on the competition as it has in 2008.

North Ballarat still has some huge challenges to come in its remaining five and home away matches, and FitzGerald will not be allowing his charges to be getting ahead of themselves.

They go from having this week off to playing Coburg Tigers (home), Casey Scorpions (away), Northern Bullants (home), Tasmania (away) and Sandringham (away).

There is nothing to suggest to any of those matches are anything like guaranteed wins.

Casey is chasing the double chance, Sandringham is always a testing road trip as is Tasmania.

North Ballarat needed a goal after the siren to beat Coburg early in the season and the Bullants gave the Roosters a hiding.

But the Roosters have improved markedly since and the rest of the VFL will be sitting up and taking notice.