The Roosters got an edge on Collingwood midway through the third quarter and pushed to a 35-point win in the Victorian Football League on Sunday.

Contested football around the ground at Eureka Stadium was good.

This became a game more about kicking long and getting distance in the wet against a southerly squall.

Defender Luke Kiel cleared the ball to Myles Sewell in the centre, almost 19 minutes into the final term, Sewell played on with a thumping kick up forward, where Andrew Hooper marked and goaled right at the goal face – this was exactly what Selkirk Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald has been demanding.

Strong, quick drive into the forward-50 with a major reward.

This was the moment he knew the game was won.

“What I was pleased about was that we were good defensively and good offensively in regard to the conditions,” FitzGerald said.

“Being such a high quality surface, it was more about adjusting to the slippery conditions.

“This was more a day about getting distance with the ball.”

Collingwood out-ran the Roosters in a sunny, warm practice match at Victoria Park last weekend, but the Roosters wore them out in Ballarat on Sunday.

It was a well-contested game throughout the first half.

Collingwood kicked three consecutive majors to even scores 10 minutes into the third quarter.

That was the Magpies’ last bite.

The Roosters booted two goals to hold an 11-point lead at the final break and peppered the goals from 18 forward 50-metre entries to a scoreless Collingwood’s six entries in the final term.

Hooper, a former Rebel, booted three goals in his first game as an official Rooster after returning to Eureka Stadium from AFL club Western Bulldogs via Glenelg in the SANFL.

Decorated ruckman Orren Stephenson was clear best on ground in his first game for the club since 2011. Stephenson has spent the past three years in the AFL (Geelong 2012, Richmond 2013-14).

Nick Rippon amassed 35 touches and had 12 clearances, seven tackles, Trent Dumont was effective with 25 disposals and 11 tackles and Myles Sewell stamped his return to VFL from a season’s hiatus with 24 touches, seven tackles.

Defender Max Warren kept dangerous Magpie Alex Fasolo quiet. Fasolo kicked two goals from 12 possessions but was far from creating the havoc he inflicted on the Roosters when they met last year.

The Roosters will turn their attention to fellow North Melbourne-aligned club Werribee next week.

Werribee is set to host the game but must pass a surface review after the ground was deemed unsuitable for an opening round clash against Geelong. That game was moved to Simonds Stadium.

POSSESIONS

• North Ballarat 325

• Collingwood 284

NICK RIPPON 35

• 24 kicks, 11 handballs

TRENT DUMONT 25

• 17 kicks, 8 handballs

MYLES SEWELL 24

• 14 kicks, 10 handballs

LIAM HOY 21

• 19 kicks, 2 handballs

BRAD McKENZIE 18

• 14 kicks, 4 handballs

MARKS

• North Ballarat 66

• Collingwood 53

MARKS INSIDE-50M

• North Ballarat 9

• Collingwood 8

TACKLES

• North Ballarat 98 (Dumont 8,

Lockyer 7)

• Collingwood 74

HIT-OUTS

• North Ballarat 49 (Stephenson 34)

• Collingwood 54 (Witts 36)

CLEARANCES

• North Ballarat 47

• Collingwood 41

HANDBALLS

• North Ballarat 107

• Collingwood 107

TOP PICK NO. 1

ROOSTERS fans enjoyed seeing ORREN STEPHENSON back in the black and white.

Stephenson was only a confi rmed starter on Saturday morning after nursing back soreness all week – you could not tell.

He was dominant in the ruck and commanding up forward. Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald smiled when he saw the Big O take a strong mark 20 metres out from the Magpies’ goal when the game was very much in the balance.

TOP PICK NO. 2

SHUTTING down dangerous livewire Alex Fasolo means you may not have noticed MAX WARREN’s work much.

Warren did not get a lot of the ball but he certainly made sure Fasolo did not either. Fasolo had plenty to prove, too. He was dropped back from the Magpies’ AFL line-up to play VFL this week and can create havoc at both levels of the game.

Warren’s work was pivotal in a sound all-round effort from the Roosters’ back lines.

TOP PICK NO. 3

ONBALLER NICK RIPPON helped ensure the Roosters had an edge on Collingwood in contested play.

Rippon chalked up 35 disposals, tallied evenly but with an 11-disposal final term in which he also made seven of his 12 clearances.

The third-year Rooster’s game serves up an exciting prospect for the Roosters with Rippon to play alongside one of the league’s best onballers, Myles Sewell, back in the fold.