A 100-point victory has given the North Ballarat Rebels the perfect start to the TAC under-18 football competition finals series.
The Rebels demolished the Murray Bushrangers in Saturday's elimination final at Visy Park, Carlton, 28.10 (178) to 11.12 (78), with lively medium forward Jarryd Hill kicking eight goals and key position player Jeremy Cameron finishing with five.
The win is the second strong performance in a row for the Rebels after they comfortably beat Greater Western Sydney last weekend at Blacktown Olympic Park in Sydney.
Rebels coach Glenn Wilkins said the trip to Sydney had helped his team gell as a group.
"The boys played really well, and it just clicked. It gives us a bit of momentum going into the the next final," Wilkins said.
"We spent a weekend in Sydney the week before and I think it came at a good time. "The beauty about going away on those weekends is you get to spend some time together as a group.
"We sat down with the group in terms of what we wanted to get out of the year and, to the boys' credit they applied a lot of that against the Bushrangers.
"During the year, we only really get the boys for training together as a whole group on Thursdays.
"In Sydney we weren't governed by time and I have no doubt it played a big part."
After a relatively even first quarter, the Rebels blew the Bushrangers away in the second with nine goals to zero.
Hill kicked six of his goals in the first half.
Will Pomorin had 27 disposals in a best on ground performance, with ruckman Ben Mabon, Hill, Patrick Barber and Nick O'Brien also among the Rebels' better players.
Mabon, Tom McDonald and Lucas Cook also contributed on the scoreboard with three goals apiece.
"The conditions were very similar to Sydney the week before," Wilkins said.
"The key difference was we used the ball very well. The boys kicked with real purpose, the kicking efficiency was 73 per cent, the boys ran and used space, and there wasn't too much handball.
"It takes times with boys this age. I've been happy with the development over the year of individual players, even if the team hasn't always had the results.
"In the last few weeks the team has been more settled.
"Hopefully we can carry that on against Dandenong this week because they are a benchmark in this competition."
The Dandenong Stingrays won their qualifying final against the Oakleigh Chargers by 64 points.
The two teams will meet on Saturday, again at Visy Park.
Chris McMahon is the Rebels' only injury concern after he suffered an ankle injury.