But while the rest of the Commonwealth had improved, the Australian team was “undoubtedly” stronger this year than in Delhi four years ago, he said.

Kenya defeated Australia in the medal tally in Delhi, the English will be extremely strong on "home" soil and there are no walk events in Glasgow – events Australia has long dominated.

Australia has finished top two in athletics at the past five Commonwealth Games – first in 1994 and 1998, second to England in 2002, first again in 2006, then second behind Kenya in 2010.

“Traditionally we have been very good at coming No.1 in the Commonwealth but I think the other nations have closed the gap, as Kenya showed in the last Games,” Hollingsworth said.

“I think Canada is back on the radar again and England with a home championships will obviously be the favourites from my point of view, but we revel in that underdog situation and we will make our biggest effort to maintain our No.1 status.”

Compared with other years, Australia has fewer athletes at the top of the rankings coming into the Games. Olympic and former world champion Sally Pearson has for years been the most bankable medal-winning athlete, but she is battling back from injury and hopes to be right.

Dani Samuels, in contrast, is unlucky this is not a world championships year rather than a Commonwealth year, as she is throwing as well as anyone in the world this year and would be a good chance to win a second discus world title. A Commonwealth gold appears a fait accompli.

Kim Mickle won silver at the worlds last year and will be extremely difficult to beat for javelin gold. Training partner Kathryn Mitchell might present as strong a competition as anyone.

Alana Boyd is regularly jumping around the 4.65-metre mark, which is about 20 centimetres higher than other Commonwealth pole vaulters have managed this year, so she too should win gold.

Eleanor Patterson is but a callow 18-year-old, but she is consistently jumping over 1.9 metres – she jumped 1.94 metres just before flying out for the Games. That is not only a medal height but a reasonable gold medal range.

“There is expectation on the Kims, the Sallys, the Dani Samuels, and they are medals that we would definitely be expecting from the team," Hollingsworth said.

"But we also go down to our juniors and the younger ones and there is quiet expectation around a few of those athletes and what they need to do, because we understand it’s their first time, so we are going to give them some air to breathe and there is not going to be the killer pressure that may be on the established athletes.

“There is no doubt about it – you, me, everyone, the [Australian Sports] Commission knows who our medal people are.”

Hollingsworth said he was untroubled by the fact other athletes were not topping the Commonwealth rankings coming into the Games, because the important point was to be peaking now, not six months ago.

“It is all about performing on the day ... whoever is top of the rankings for the six months beforehand is not relevant.”

Long jumper Henry Frayne fits that bill of a talented athlete barely seen yet this year.

“Henry is in good shape, he is good to go,” Hollingsworth said.

Hollingsworth also put the acid on young pole vaulter Liz Parnov, saying it was time for her to perform after stagnating in recent years.

He said it was “without question a stronger meet than four years ago" in Delhi, when many of the best athletes stayed away for security and other reasons.

“The Delhi factor changed the competition landscape and I expect it to be much higher competition than last time."