COMMONWEALTH GAMES: MONA’S MISSION TO BEAT THE POMS

AUSTRALIAN team boss Steve Moneghetti says he has just a solitary goal for the Commonwealth Games — and that’s to win one gold medal more than England.

In a move that will inflame tensions between the fierce Ashes rivals, Moneghetti has implored Australia to make the most of its home ground advantage at the Gold Coast after being unable to top the Commonwealth Games medal tally in Glasgow four years ago for the first time since 1986.

“I can tell you what our medal tally is going to be — one more than England,’’ said Moneghetti, the chef de mission and 1994 Commonwealth marathon champion.

“Then I’ll be a happy man. There’s no doubt in principle we want to be at the top of the medal tally.’’

Australia will send a Commonwealth Games record 472 athletes in 18 sports to the Gold Coast Games, starting on Thursday, and will be aiming to improve markedly on the 49 golds won four years ago in Scotland, when England, performing in a home time zone and familiar weather, topped the count with 58.

Australia won an unparalleled 84 golds when the Commonwealth Games were last staged in this country, in 2006 in Melbourne, before fanatical home support.

“The chance of replicating that figure is not that high,’’ Moneghetti said.

“There has been a restructure by the CGF [the Commonwealth Games Federation] and I think there are [fewer] medals available these days.

“It’s a chance for so many of these athletes to experience a home Games for the first and only time in their lives.

“You want to make sure it’s a memorable experience. We want it to be a positive experience for them, their significant other, their family . . . our catchcry is, ‘Greater together’.’’

Moneghetti said Commonwealth Games Australia had been working for 2½ years with national sports federations and athletes towards maximum performance.

“We wanted to make sure the team was well prepared and well informed,’’ he said.