Bolstered by the inclusions of senior stars the ilk of Dale Thomas, Alan Didak, Alex Fasolo, Andrew Krakouer and Clinton Young, the VFL Magpies led at every change and recorded their biggest victory since the first round of the 2011 season when they defeated Frankston by 74 points.
The win came at a minor cost with the ex-Hawk Young leaving the field early in the match with hamstring soreness. He will be assessed by the club's medical staff in the next 24 hours.
Thomas stepped up another gear after performing well on return against the AIS-AFL Academy at the MCG last Thursday.
He gathered 24 possessions, took nine marks, had six inside 50s and kicked a last quarter goal that delighted the large crowd in the Sherrin Stand.
The warm weather left him and his teammates exhausted after the match but he acknowledged that the hitout was another important step in making his return at senior level.
"I felt all right. I gassed out a bit towards the end but that's to be expected. I got the run in the legs again, got a bit of the footy, the ankle's fairly good and the rest of the body's starting to feel good," Thomas told collingwoodfc.com.au.
"Hopefully that means in a week or two I can get back up and have a run around in the seniors.
"I think for the team it was another really good effort. I think the boys really improved on what we tried to do last week.
"For them to take that step - there's still a long way to go - but to take that step and win by eight or nine goals is fantastic."
While the Thomas of the Dale variety certainly made his mark, his namesake Josh Thomas also impressed teammates and coaches alike with his courage and his positive response to his omission from the seniors.
"I was really pleased with Josh Thomas," Head of Development Craig McRae said after the match.
"Particularly his courage. He had a couple of really big efforts defensively that stood out. In the last quarter he just willed himself into the game and kicked a really nice goal.
"He's playing above this level at the moment, Josh, and AFL opportunities aren't far away again."
While Thomas and Andrew Krakouer (eight kicks, four handballs, no marks, three inside 50s) returned via the VFL last week, Didak and Fasolo made a delayed start to their 2013 campaigns after hamstring injuries at the tail end of the pre-season stalled their progress.
Fasolo, who gathered 25 possessions (13 kicks, 12 handballs, five marks) in his first VFL match since mid-2011, said that his body was feeling fresh despite the warm conditions.
"It's really good to get through unscathed. I was looking to test the hammy out and I played a good chunk of game percentage so it's positive signs."
Didak (15 kicks, six handballs, four marks) says he is in a similar boat.
"I got through. It was a good day for footy, that's for sure. I was puffed out towards the end and we got a good result which was great."
The most noteworthy performance of the day came from Frankston recruit Kyle Martin who notched 33 possessions, took eight marks, registered seven clearances and kicked three goals in a best on ground display.
"It's really damaging when your midfielders get high possessions and clearances but ones that can go forward and kick goals…" mused McRae.
"He kicked three goals again today and he did that last game too so he's really important player at this level."
It is the time in as many matches that Martin has gathered more than 30 possessions and kicked multiple goals. While there are currently no openings on the senior list, the 22-year-old rookie's hand is becoming red raw as he bangs on the match committee's door.
Another mature aged rookie (albeit one 12 years Martin's senior) to perform strongly against North Ballarat was Ben Hudson.
The ruckman won 26 hitouts and managed seven clearances on top of 22 possessions and four marks in a performance that will allow Collingwood fans and coaches to sleep well at night knowing that they have a senior ruckman in peak form at VFL level.
"He's the king of the kids down here, isn't he?" laughed McRae.
"He's important for leadership and experience around the ground, and just tips in defensively for a big guy.
"He's absolutely ready to step up any time when he's needed. He's important for our kids' development but he's also going to be a great contributor when us we need him."
Collingwood 2.4, 7.6, 11.9, 16.11 (107)
North Ballarat 1.3, 2.9, 5.12, 6.19 (55)
Goals - Collingwood: Paine 4, Witts 3, Martin 3, Mooney, Fasolo, Ferguson, D.Thomas, J.Thomas
North Ballarat: Nicholls 2, Curran, Driscoll, Richardson, Garner
Best - Collingwood: Martin, J.Thomas, Mooney, Frost, Hudson, Oxley
North Ballarat: Black, McKenzie, Richardson, Austin, Garner, Warren
Injuries - Collingwood: Young (hamstring)
North Ballarat: Nil
Major Statistics
Disposals - Martin 33, J.Thomas 26, Fasolo 25, Oxley 24, D.Thomas 24, Hudson 22, Didak 21, Paine 19, Ferguson 15, Witts 14, Gault 13, Collopy 12, Gray 12, Krakouer 12, Yagmoor 12, Richmond 11, Ramsay 10
Marks - D.Thomas 9, Martin 8, Paine 7, Oxley 6, Witts 6, Fasolo 5
Hitouts - Hudson 26, Witts 15, Richmond 1
Clearances - Hudson 7, Martin 7, D.Thomas 4, J.Thomas 3
Inside 50s - D.Thomas 6, Martin 5, Mooney 4, J.Thomas 4
At Victoria Park
