Geelong's comfortable, 33-point victory over North Melbourne at Skilled Stadium yesterday failed to reach the heights a first-versus-fourth clash promised, and left both coaches with a bit each way before a likely qualifying final in a fortnight.

Geelong's 17.13 (115) to 13.4 (82) win was their 12th in succession, 20th from 21 games this campaign and 39th from 41 games since North won at Skilled in round five, 2007.

But North will get another shot at the Cats in the first week of the finals provided it can beat lowly Port Adelaide at the MCG next Saturday.

North coach Dean Laidley made it clear he would not read too much into yesterday's result as, apart from eight goals by David Hale, few Kangaroos played at their peak.

Laidley refused to discuss the prospect of another qualifying final against Geelong following last year's embarrassing 106-point loss by focusing on beating the Power.

''I'm not going to be a smarty-pants, but we've got to get over Port Adelaide,'' he said. ''There were lots of good efforts, there's still some improvement in us because of the talent we've brought into the side.

''We missed Matty [Campbell] today and there were some really good performances, but also there were some performances that weren't up to the standard required.''

For most of the game Geelong was in control, but it was guilty of over-using the ball, poor field kicking and an inability to stop Hale, both by Harry Taylor and then Matthew Scarlett.

Cats coach Mark Thompson said, ''It wasn't our best game of footy, it wasn't our worst, it was a workmanlike effort against a pretty good team and a pretty good result''.

''I thought North Melbourne were pretty good, pretty honest, they turned up and they played [but] we just seemed to have their measure for all of the day.''

Geelong's Paul Chapman and Cameron Mooney both kicked four goals, while 200-gamer Brad Ottens rucked well and booted three. AAP