The Ballarat school claimed its third Herald Sun Shield with an emphatic 14.11 (95) to 6.8 (44) triumph in the curtain raiser to yesterday's Melbourne versus Sydney clash at the MCG.

In doing so, the boys in blue, white and green completed a mission that began after St Patrick's defeat in last year's Shield final at the same venue.

"It's been unfinished business," St Patrick's coach Howard Clark said.

"We have been really calm and focussed in the lead up. It was a very concentrated, clinical campaign.

"I am really proud of the group, and really pleased for the year 12s, who won't get the chance to do it again.

"To win by more than 50 points at this level is quite an achievement. To concede just 19 goals over the entire series is amazing."

After dominating its pool matches, and beating semi-final opponent St Bernard's by 74 points, St Patrick's went into the Shield final as the red hot favourite for the match.

St Joseph's responded to the challenge with a spirited opening term, although the Ballarat school kicked the first two goals of the match.

A five goal to two second term stretched the margin to five goals, a lead that was to prove well beyond the Geelong school.

St Pat's captain Justin Gordon, one of a dozen year 12 students in the side, said the team had plenty of motivation for the match.

He descibed the victory as his team's best performance of the year.

"After last year we really wanted to make amends. I thought it was our best game all year," he said.

"We didn't want to think about it too much but there was extra motivation (the year 12s). We knew it was our second last game for the school and we really wanted to do well because of that.

"I wish I could play with this team all through my career, it is a really tight knit group. We have a lot of good individual players but the real strength is we play for each other."

The victory was St Patrick's third Herald Sun Shield title, joining the 1999 and 2005 trophies in the school's cabinet.

St Patrick's will attempt to complete its "double" when it faces Ballarat Clarendon College on Wednesday for the Ballarat Associated Schools trophy.