A double to Besart Berisha, and a cross by Kosta Barbarouses which deflected in off Andrew Durante, saw Victory put the game to bed with time to spare.
For Victory, it was a welcome return to form after their loss to the in-form Newcastle Jets last week. It was also a nice tune up for their FFA Cup Final encounter with Perth Glory on Saturday night.
However for Wellington, who have been buoyed by the outpouring of support after Football Federation Australia denied their application for a 10-year licence extention, it was a disappointing night.
Perhaps they were distracted, because once they went behind they weren't in the game. After the second goal, the score could have blown out even further were it not for some sterling goalkeeping by Glen Moss.
Victory coach Kevin Muscat, who played his entire A-League career under Wellington's coach Ernie Merrick, took particular delight in the comprehensive victory.
The nearly 25,000-strong crowd was treated to a thoroughly entertaining match.
The first half was so open it could have been anything and the only surprise was that only one goal was scored.
Daniel Georgievski made a superb late tackle on Roy Krishna in only the third minute, and it was an indication of the helter-skelter first half which was to follow.
Victory were denied a penalty when Andrew Durante stuck a leg out and fouled Berisha, but the Victory centre forward got his goal only a few minutes later to put his side ahead. Taking a slide rule pass in his stride, he shimmed one way, jinked another, before sliding the ball past Moss.
There was a scare for Victory 'keeper Danny Vukovic when he missed his kick under pressure from Krishna, only to recover with a ball-and-all tackle back inside his area.
Kosta Barbarouses's header, from a Gui Finkler cross, was somehow deflected over the bar by a desperate Ben Sigmund. Wellington were hanging on, and only just.
Berisha should have done better with a free header, before Wellington's Michael McGlinchey's shot flashed wide thanks to a deflection.
It was end-to-end and great entertainment.
Sigmund thumped a header at goal from a corner, which Vukovic reacted quickly to beat away, inches in front of his face.
Oliver Bozanic was next to nearly, but not quite, score. His shot was blocked by a well-positioned Vince Lia, before the Wellington midfielder blocked from Bozanic again on the rebound.
It was Lia's lasting contribution to the game as he was replaced with a hamstring injury, by Alex Rodriguez.
Phoenix looked certain to equalise as the first half drew to a close, when a delightful pass by Jeffrey Sarpong cut open the Victory defence.
Krishna looked to profit, but a sensational sliding clearance from Carl Valeri, seizing on a slightly imperfect first touch by Krishna, snuffed out the danger.
The second period started in the same vein. Finkler got in behind Tom Doyle at left back, but he went for the cut-back instead of the shot. Berisha, for once on his heels, wasn't alive to the opportunity.
It didn't matter though because Barbarouses's cross took a wicked deflection off Durante to beat Moss at his near post.
When Berisha raced away with only Moss to beat, there was no doubt he would finish off his second goal, and the game.
Melbourne Victory 3 (Berisha 10', 61', Barbarouses 55')
Wellington Phoenix 0
Wellington Phoenix 0
Etihad Stadium, Melbourne
Referee: Shaun Evans
Crowd: 24,934
Referee: Shaun Evans
Crowd: 24,934
