A dual gold medallist, two defending champions, more than half fresh from major international events, five debutants and six females.
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Meet the eight Hunter athletes representing Australia at this year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Flying the local flag over the next 11 days of competition will be: Merewether's Rose Davies (athletics), Merewether's Christie Dawes (athletics), Norths defender Matthew Dawson (hockey), Lambton Pool graduate Sam Fricker (diving), Maitland-raised Abbey Harkin (swimming), Cameron Park's Jesse Southwell (rugby sevens), Raymond Terrace Bowling Club's Natasha van Eldik (lawn bowls) and Souths striker Mariah Williams (hockey).
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While not the largest contingent from this part of the world to contest the multi-sport event, most arrive with genuine medal claims.
One of those also happens to be the group's most experienced Commonwealth Games campaigner, 31-year-old lawn bowler van Eldik, who kick starts proceedings on day one.
"If someone told me I'd have an opportunity at four Commonwealth Games, I probably would've laughed in their face. To think I made my debut 12 years ago is crazy, but I still remember it so vividly," she said.
Having already visited Delhi (2010) and Glasgow (2014), Van Eldik stood atop of the podium twice on the Gold Coast in 2018 and now hopes to replicate that feat in the English midlands.
Van Eldik opens with the women's fours on Friday and follows with the triples.
Seventeen-year-old Southwell, the youngest of the Hunter crew, arrives as a relative newcomer to the senior ranks but recently helped the Aussie women's team clinch the World Rugby Sevens Series title.
Olympic swimmer Harkin (50m, 100m, 200m breaststroke, 200m IM) and wheelchair veteran Dawes (marathon, 1500m) have multiple events from the outset.
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
