BALLARAT Football League made light work of interleague rival Bendigo in their AFL Victoria Country Championships blockbuster on Saturday.

The Blues were merciless from quarter time, booting 12 consecutive goals in the second and third terms on their way to a 17.11 (113) to 4.12 (36) win at Eastern Oval.

The visitors led at the first break in the fifth against sixth match-up, with Samuel Mildren's late goal giving Bendigo a two-point buffer.

The margin lasted for the opening five minutes of the second quarter until Daniel Tung goaled, sparking a run of five Ballarat majors in 10 minutes.

Lucas Anderson and Mitchell Phelps were in everything, snagging five of their side's seven second-term goals as the Blues went to half-time with a 40-point lead.

Five majors in 15 minutes from the hosts extinguished any hope of a second-half Bendigo comeback as Ballarat returned to the interleague winners' list in style.

"I think the boys were a little bit sloppy early, adjusting to the pace and a step up in level," Ballarat coach Shane Skontra said.

"It just took us a while to find out feet.

"But certainly once the second quarter kicked off, we were able to play some pretty good footy."

Derick Micallef finished with four goals for the victors, while Grant Bell and Nathan Horbury also impressed.

Horbury, from Redan, was named best afield, while Matthew Thornton led the way for Bendigo.

Skontra said he was impressed by his side's ability to keep its momentum rolling after half-time.

"They came out with a great attitude and took off from where they finished the half," he said.

"We were probably just a bit clumsy with the footy (in the first quarter), just decision making and wanting to win that first possession a bit better.

"Once we got both of those in order, it flowed on from there."

The Ballarat league will face Goulburn Valley in a third against fourth playoff next year, while Bendigo will tackle Gippsland in the seventh against eighth fixture.

A wayward Geelong maintained top spot in the rankings, beating Goulburn Valley by 35 points despite kicking 30 behinds from 42 scoring shots.

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