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IT was rough, it was tough and at times downright ridiculous but Australia today survived Venezuela's physical challenge to move into the Rio Olympic quarter-finals 81-56 winners.

Resting Patty Mills and only playing Matthew Dellavedova for 8:24, coach Andrej Lemanis threw more of the backcourt onus onto Kevin Lisch, Damian Martin, Chris Goulding and even Joe Ingles to an extent, and they responded accordingly.

Andrew Bogut (10 points on 5-of-6 shooting, six rebounds, two assists in 17:55 of court-time) and David Andersen (8 points on 4-of-7 shooting, four rebounds in 16:05) stood up as usual, Aron Baynes solid.

Cam Bairstow injured his left arm, possibly his shoulder, and played just 7:56, in what might be the only concern for the Boomers going forward.

Goulding finished with a game-high 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-7 threes as the Boomers squashed Venezuela's resistance with a 28-13 final period.

Australia started exceptionally with a 7-0 run before Venezuela, playing for a spot in the quarter-finals and appropriately physical, finally broke its drought at 6:11.

It was 16-2 on easy baskets by Bogut, Goulding and Andersen before Venezuela scored the first quarter's final four points.

In the second period, as Venezuela upped the ante, you could have been forgiven for thinking the rugby sevens and wrestling referees had taken over (barely) controlling the game as it closed to 19-23.

Bogut had a nice tap-in and Ingles (11 points, three assists) scored a great basket driving to the hoop on the baseline.

Bairstow appeared to dislocate his shoulder 4:48 out from halftime with Australia ahead 41-30. 

GOULDING GOLD: Chris Goulding lays it in. Picture courtesy FIBA.

The Boomers bounded away again late in the third after Venezuela had cut the deficit to six. Lisch and Goulding knocked down 3-pointers to push the lead back to 47-35 and it was 53-43 with a period to play.

Australia's teamwork again was exemplary to start the fourth as Andersen hit a super jumpshot, Baynes fed Ingles on a cut and it quickly was 57-43.

Venezuelan captain Jose Vargas helped Ryan Broekhoff to his feet, showing great sportsmanship. Then, showing great athleticism, he blew by the Boomers' defence for a gorgeous flying basket, opening his team's scoring in the last.

Martin slipped a slick pass to Andersen for 59-45 and the game of catchup was catching up to Venezuela.

Its last hurrah was with 5:27 left and the score at 49-59 before Goulding was fouled while nailing a triple. He added the bonus free throw and at 63-49 this was over.

Another Goulding 3-pointer just added the exclamation point at 66-49 as Australia motored home, Broekhoff (10 points, eight rebounds, two assists) even sticking a one-legged Dirk Nowitzki-style three to close proceedings.

The Boomers finished intrapool play 4-1 but now face the first of (hopefully) two of the biggest games in Australia's Olympic history.

The first is its quarter-final against an as-yet undetermined opponent, the rival pool red-hot with options and that game as huge as the corresponding match against Croatia in Atlanta in 1996.

Get through that and it's a semi final for a shot at gold. It's still a long and treacherous road but these Boomers have done nothing to suggest they aren't capable of navigating it.

AUSTRALIA BOOMERS 81 (Goulding 22, Ingles 11, Bogut, Broekhoff 10; Broekhoff 8 rebs; Martin 4 assts) d VENEZUELA 56 (Perez 12, Cubillan 10, Graterol, Cox 9; Ruiz, G.Vargas 4 rebs; G.Vargas 7 assts).