Scotland finished ninth in the medal table at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and have a very good incentive to better that haul in Melbourne.

The delegation in Melbourne will be smaller - 166 competitors (104 men and 62 women) compared with a representation of 193 in Manchester four years ago.

However, with Glasgow bidding for the 2014 Commonwealth Games a good medal haul in Melbourne would be the perfect illustration of Scotland's commitment to the Games as it looks to stage the event for the third time with Edinburgh having done the honours in 1970 and 1986.

Scotland's First Minister Jack McConnell has vowed to do his utmost to win the Games - he even wants golf to be included as a sport, saying: "When we sit round the table with the other Commonwealth countries in Australia, I want them to know our bid has the full backing of the Scottish people."

Prime Minister Tony Blair, born and educated in Scotland, has also vowed to back the bid and has an enviable track record as he showed with his successful and possibly crucial lobbying in Singapore on behalf of London's Olympic bid.

First things first, though, and Scotland's immediate thoughts will once again be centred on a decent performance in Melbourne.

In Manchester four years ago, they took six gold medals, eight silvers and 16 bronzes to finish below Malaysia but above Nigeria in the medals table.

The track and field competition is naturally the centre of attention but Scotland is not particularly strong in that department.

Steeplechasing prospect Andrew Lemoncello will not be going to Australia as he wishes to concentrate on his college commitments at Florida State University although Kevin Sheppard will be competing in the event.

Chris Baillie (110m hurdles), Shirley Webb (hammer) are some of the better known of the 19 athletes who will represent Scotland on the world stage while Shona Crombie-Hicks will take on a tough field in the women's marathon.

The Scots are sending a team of 19 swimmers to Melbourne and have been in Australia since Christmas preparing for their crack at Games glory.

Coach Chris Martin is confident the team can make an impact Down Under, saying: "The winter season has started well for all of the swimmers and the decision to select our team early was great, allowing more time to work with the athletes and ensure they get a good lead in to the Games."

A strong cycling team will see Chris Hoy try to build on his success in Manchester four years ago.

Since his gold in Melbourne, Hoy has gone on to bigger and better things and won the gold medal in the Athens Olympics in the kilometre time-trial while he has also been decorated with the MBE for his services to cycling.

In the team sprint, Hoy is predicting a Scotland-England final.

Hoy said: "I am sure both England and Scotland can make the final in Melbourne even through Australia will be very strong. If we pull out our best rides possible, it could be a home nations final."

Craig MacLean is another gold medal candidate for Scotland and he believes the kilometre is his best bet for getting it.

"It's the first on our schedule at the Commonwealth Games and then we have a few days before the team sprint," said MacLean.

"It would be fantastic to win an individual medal and also a team sprint medal which if we get it right, we have a good chance of doing that."

James Ouchterlony, Ruth McGavigan, Gareth Montgomerie and Robert Wardell will all be looking to succeed in the mountain biking.

In all, 13 cyclists will be flying the saltire on road and on track in Melbourne.

The rugby sevens squad will be led by skipper Mark Lee who is a serving soldier and the most capped player for his nation in the sevens format of the sport.

In the other team sports, Scotland will be sending a team to the maiden Commonwealth basketball tournament although star man Keiron Achara has withdrawn from the line-up.

Their hockey teams will also be competitive although a medal looks unrealistic.

Boxing is another sport where Scotland has a strong tradition and perhaps their best hope for success in the ring is Craig McEwan, competing in the -75kg category, who is expected to turn professional once the Games are over.

On the shooting range, Ian Marsden will be competing in his sixth Games while gymnast Steve Frew has been almost as consistent. Melbourne will be his fifth Games in a sport where, for obvious reasons, careers tend to be much shorter.

The exclusion of judo from the 2006 Games programme will hit Scotland, however, who have one of the strongest judo teams in the Commonwealth.

Scotland's showing in Manchester was not far off their best ever which came back in 1982 when they won eight gold medals.

That success came in Brisbane which was the last time the Games were held on Australian soil.

If they could emulate or surpass that, it would reflect very well on the country's hopes of staging the games in 2014.

The team's mission statement says that athletes in both team and individual events will be considered to have succeeded if they manage to make the top eight in any given competition.

The team will also be making a sartorial splash in the opening ceremony.

Scotland's delegation will be kitted out in a new Commonwealth tartan which is loosely based on the Gunn clan as the first ever Games - the British Empire Games of 1930 - were organised by Bobby Robinson who, like all Robinsons, is entitled to wear the Gunn clan tartan.