Geelong kicked 19.12 (127) to the Roos' 17.12 (114) to keep the home side at bay.
The Roos went into the game missing Corey Jones and Nathan Thompson, but took it up to Geelong from quarter time thanks to the efforts of David Hale and Hamish McIntosh in the ruck.
The pair gave the midfield unit plenty of opportunities.
North had 18 touches to one in the opening moments of the game and goals to Hale and Matthew Campbell were only punctuated by Tom Lonergan's major against the run of play.
But once Geelong settled and found their composure they put North on the back foot. Gary Ablett and Paul Chapman were able to win centre clearances and moved the ball quickly and incisively downfield. Ablett, in particular, created mayhem and won 14 touches in the first term as he torched Ed Lower.
North was forced to shift Brady Rawlings onto the superstar Cat but Geelong continued to dominate general play and should have been further ahead than 22 points at the first change.
North opened the second term confidently with a long bouncing goal by Leigh Harding and another through a Hale mark a minute later.
Yet Cam Mooney's goal broke the run until Brent Harvey snapped a superb goal from 30 metres in reply.
Mooney was held by Firrito in the goal square and made no mistake, but Harris replied straight out of the centre. The Kangaroos were now displaying more resolve and mettle and the normally watertight Geelong defence was showing signs of leakage.
Campbell goaled from the square after a David Wojcinski penalty and Geelong had headaches with its best defender Matthew Scarlett treated off the ground for a hamstring strain. He didn't return.
Ablett, contained by Rawlings in this quarter, broke to goal and Mooney followed up with his fourth.
A great run by Harding helped set up Grant for a handpass to Harvey, who bagged another goal, and Geelong headed the Roos by eight points at half time.
Geelong moved Lonergan to a defence that had already been below par and had looked stretched for the previous 20 minutes.
If North was to make a run it had to be in this phase and Petrie snapped truly to bring his side within two points. Yet again Mooney answered and North lost Daniel Pratt for a short period with a shoulder injury.
Lonergan, who had returned to the forward line, booted a goal and put 14 points between the sides.
North needed a lift of experience from quiet pair Shannon Grant and Leigh Brown. Campbell and Petrie misses proved costly when Geelong sent the ball to the other end for Mooney to boot his sixth.
Brown finally came into the game with a booming goal but Cat Corey Enright landed a running shot and Travis Varcoe presented front and square for another.
North wasn't done and Harvey and Campbell showed great courage in the contest to get the ball to Lindsay Thomas' crafty left boot, then Lower fired a long goal to reduce the gap to six points.
It was then that Ablett produced a piece of magic, winning the contested ball, eluding an opponent and snapping brilliantly with his 30th disposal of the night to keep Geelong 12 points clear.
Geelong had the start to the final term it needed with a long goal to Steve Johnson but Hale, who had been influential in the ruck and up forward, marked strongly to goal for the Roos to keep their hopes afloat.
He repeated the dose to bring his team within seven points.
But as he had done all night, Mooney snaffled a goal to stop the Roos in their tracks and, with under four minutes remaining, the two-goal Geelong lead was enough.
Geelong 7.0 11.6 17.7 19.13 (127)
North Melbourne 3.2 10.4 15.7 17.12 (114)
GOALS
Geelong: Mooney 7, Johnson 3, Lonergan 2, Ablett 2, Varcoe 2, Enright, Ottens, Byrnes
North Melbourne: Hale 4, Campbell 3, Harvey 2, Petrie 2, Thomas 2, Lower, Harding, Brown, Harris
BEST
Geelong: Ablett, Mooney, Bartel, Johnson, Rooke, Prismall
North Melbourne: Petrie, Harvey, Gibson, Rawlings, Simpson, Hale
INJURIES
Geelong: Joel Selwood (ill) replaced in selected side by Brent Prismall, Scarlett (hamstring)
North Melbourne: Pratt (shoulder)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Wenn, Ryan, McInerney
Official crowd: 38,373 at Telstra Dome
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the club.
