IT IS widely believed that some athletes “run dead” in the lead-up to the Stawell Gift as they look to deceive the handicapper.
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Holding back on your performances during the season so you gain a good mark and a better shot at writing your name into Australian athletics history is the method.
But that’s not the mentality of Ballarat sprinter Joel Bee.
The 21-year-old said he desperately wanted to carry the prestigious scratch marker’s tag in this year’s footrace.
While he won’t quite have to run the full 120m journey at Central Park – starting from 0.75m – he will be the backmarker of the field.
Bee said his desire to run from scratch followed an association with new coach Josh Ross.
Ross became just the second man to win the Stawell Gift from scratch when he stormed to victory in 2005. It was his second win in the race after first triumphing in 2003.
“Everyone is trying to get their mark out more and I’m trying to go back,” said Bee, who is on the lookout for a sponsor.
“I think the crowd enjoy it more when someone is running from the back and running people down in the race more than seeing someone win from 10m. I think the thrill of the crowd gets me going as well.”
And he has plenty of backmark experience to draw on this weekend, having won this season’s Trinity Gift from 1.25m and an invitational event at Stonnington from scratch.
Bee’s connection to Ross stemmed from a simple Facebook message asking for advice and a training program. The two then began running together and now share a house in Melbourne.
“When we train on the grass, we don’t run from handicaps. (Ross) and I are both from the same mark,” Bee said.
A past 400m national champion while under the care of former coach Paul Cleary, Bee has shifted his focus to the shorter sprints.
He just recently grabbed a silver medal at the national 100m titles and hopes to gain a spot in the Australian relay team for the Commonwealth Games, held in Glasgow in July.
tim.oconnor@fairfaxmedia.com.au
STAWELL GIFT HEATS
HEAT 1 1.15pm
RED Ryan BEDFORD 4
WHITE Ted BELCHER 6
BLUE Hamish ADAMS 7
YELLOW Kristerfer KARDAKOVSKI 7.5
GREEN John ADAMS 8
PINK Jason BAILEY 9
BLACK Nick MAGREE 10
GREY Eric SAPAC 10
HEAT 2 1.20pm
RED Jesse USOALII 4.25
WHITE Kevin BRITTAIN 6
BLUE Sam DICK 7
YELLOW Daniel STEINHAUSER 7.5
GREEN Jonathan DYKES 8
PINK Harrison KERR 9
BLACK Christopher EATHER 10
GREY Leigh PHELAN 10
HEAT 3 1.25pm
RED Sam JAMIESON 4.75
WHITE Max BELCHER 6
BLUE William MILLS 7
YELLOW Robert SPENCER 7.5
GREEN William KERR 8.25
PINK Grant McDONALD 9
BLACK Gavin O’NEIL 10
GREY Daniel CARMAN* 10
HEAT 4 1.30pm
RED Keita BANGALIE 5
WHITE Bryce TEO 6
BLUE David TINNEY 7
YELLOW Tom NEWMAN 7.5
GREEN Liam PROCACCINO* 8.25
PINK Koffi AGBALETI 9
BLACK Marty SINCLAIR 10
GREY Craig FOLEY 10
HEAT 5 1.35pm
RED Ben MITCHELL 5
WHITE Thomas MOLONEY* 6
BLUE Max PUNCHIHEWA 7
YELLOW Dylan PANIZZA 7.5
GREEN Paul TANCREDI 8.5
PINK Michael VOUMARD 9
BLACK John CARA EAST 10
HEAT 6 1.40pm
RED Jordan CSABI 5.25
WHITE Will JOHNS 6.25
BLUE Tim ESCHEBACH 7
YELLOW Paul CRACROFT-WILSON 7.5
GREEN Edward WARE 8.5
PINK Dean DOBRIC 9.25
BLACK David FLOOD 10
GREY Noddy ANGELAKOS 10
HEAT 7 1.45pm
RED James VINE 5.25
WHITE Jackson MILLER-GAGE 6.25
BLUE Tjimarri SANDERSON 7
YELLOW Quentin WALKER 7.5
GREEN Jake KELLAR 8.5
PINK Rodney MATHEWS* 10
BLACK Shane WOODROW 10
HEAT 8 1.50pm
RED Joel BEE* 0.75
WHITE Rod WAINWRIGHT 5.5
BLUE Iain DOUGLAS 6.25
YELLOW Stuart BAINBRIDGE 7
GREEN Luke HOULIHAN 7.5
PINK Augustine CARTY-COWLING 8.5
BLACK Adrian BURKE* 9.25
GREY Lawrence COOP 10
HEAT 9 1.55pm
RED Matt CARTER 1.25
WHITE Matthew HARGREAVES 5.75
BLUE Laurent STEWART 6.25
YELLOW Murray GOODWIN 7
GREEN Luke STORTA 7.75
PINK Nathan DIXON* 8.5
BLACK Adam TODOROV 10
HEAT 10 2pm
RED Jake HAMMOND 1.5
WHITE Joshua McCabe 5.5
BLUE Brendan MATTHEWS 6.25
YELLOW Corey BAKER 7
GREEN David MITCHELL 7.75
PINK Simon WELLS 8.5
BLACK Daniel LEMOTO 9.25
GREY William LITTLE 10
HEAT 11 2.05pm
RED Andrew James McCabe 2
WHITE Carl MOREHOUSE 5.5
BLUE Maxim MISHCHENKO 6.25
YELLOW JarRED GILROY 7
GREEN Liam SHEPHERD 7.75
PINK Leigh MILLER 8.5
BLACK Simon JACKSON 9.5
GREY David TRUDGIAN 10
HEAT 12 2.25pm
RED Andrew ROBINSON S 3.5
WHITE Chris BAILLIEU 5.5
BLUE Jack NEWMAN 6.5
YELLOW Alex SALIU 7.25
GREEN Stuart ABERDEIN* 8
PINK Glenn ROSS 9
BLACK Melissa BREEN 10
HEAT 13 2.30pm
RED Lee FORREST 3
WHITE David AFATH 5.5
BLUE Jasper NETTLEFOLD 6.5
YELLOW Conor LOUGHNAN 7
GREEN Luke WHITNEY 7.75
PINK Douglas GREENOUGH 8.75
BLACK Shane EZARD 9.5
HEAT 14 2.35pm
RED Alex CAREW 3
WHITE Ty CHAPMAN 5.5
BLUE Nick MACGIBBON 6.75
YELLOW Jake MISPELHORN 7
GREEN Jordan TRONNOLONE 7.75
PINK Matthew EDDY 8.75
BLACK Lachlan TAYLOR 9.5
GREY Dylan HICKS 10
HEAT 15 2.40pm
RED Nathan RIALI 3.5
WHITE Bradley EDWARDS 5.5
BLUE Samuel BAIRD* 6.5
YELLOW Ben SYRUS 7
GREEN Bryce SWINDELLS D 8
PINK Christopher INNES-WONG 8.75
BLACK Ryan CAMILLE 9.75
GREY Mark HIGNETT 10
HEAT 16 2.45pm
RED Gary FINEGAN 3.5
WHITE Brandon GALIC 5.5
BLUE Thomas YEUNG 6.5
YELLOW Chris HARGREAVES 7.25
GREEN Jayden GILFILLAN 8
PINK Nathan McNAB S 8.75
BLACK Jarrad DARTNALL 9.75
HEAT 17 2.50pm
RED Luke STEVENS 3.5
WHITE Timothy DELAHUNTY 5.5
BLUE Shaun HARGREAVES 6.5
YELLOW Daniel WHITE-ALIKAKOS 7.25
GREEN Luke ECKFORD 8
PINK David GROSS 9.75
BLACK Martin HORNE 10
HEAT 18 2.55pm
RED Jordan CALDOW 2.5
WHITE Dean SCARFF 5.5
BLUE Daniel POP 6.5
YELLOW Thomas FARMER 7
GREEN Tom PAAVOLA 7.75
PINK Andrew CAMPBELL 8.75
BLACK Simon FITZPATRICK 9.5
GREY Vic SHARMA 10
HEAT 19 3pm
RED Jacob DESPARD 3.75
WHITE Christian FOSTER 5.75
BLUE James CIBICH 6.75
YELLOW Cameron MOSS 7.25
GREEN Isaac DUNMALL 8
PINK Jesse MATTHEWS 9
BLACK Luke VERSACE 10
GREY Matthew NEWTON 10
HEAT 20 3.05pm
RED Matthew WILTSHIRE* 3.75
WHITE Evan O’HANLON 5.75
BLUE Darcy LAHEY 6.75
YELLOW Ryan SCHMIDT 7.25
GREEN Cam DUNBAR 8
PINK Nathan FOX* 9
BLACK Richard BROWN 10
GREY Dale LYONS 10
HEAT 21 3.10pm
RED Ben MISPELHORN 4
WHITE Jake SANDERS 6
BLUE Ben WEAVER 6.75
YELLOW Mathew CURRIE 7.25
GREEN Rhys GILLSON 8
PINK Josh TIU 9
BLACK Matthew HARVEY 10
GREY Gene MAWER 10
HEAT 22 3.15pm
RED Brendan COLE 4
WHITE Benjamin FARRELL 6
BLUE Henry NWOSU 6.75
YELLOW Jack ARMOUR 7.25
GREEN Vincent JASON 8
PINK Bikramjeet SINGH 9
BLACK Ryan HOFFMAN 10
GREY Timothy ROSEN 10
*BALLARAT