BALLARAT teenager Holly Dobbyn will start her Stawell Women's Gift title defence back five metres from her winning mark.
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Stakes are higher this Easter for female sprinters with an ten-fold increase to $60,000 on par with the headline men's 120-metre handicap title.
Dobbyn has been sidelined most of this Victorian Athletic League season with injury but was assigned a 6.5m start, unveiled on Monday, following her win last year.
Her coach Peter O'Dwyer said Dobbyn had been training well, but it was a tough mark for an athlete on limited race fitness.
POD Squad stablemates Jenna Cartledge and Grace O'Dwyer will also face leaner handicaps at Central Park, from April 3.
The entry of Australian 100m record holder Melissa Breen, who will run from scratch, has moved most VAL regulars forward an average three metres.
Cartledge (10.75m) and O'Dwyer (10.25m) each move forward 2.5m on marks they have run in major meets like Ballarat and Stonnington, where they have been finalists and placegetters.
They shared the podium with Ballarat Women's Gift winner Christine Wearne while Cartledge was runner-up in Stonnington and won the Maryborough Women's Necklace.
Breen won the 2012 Stawell Women's Gift off scratch but New South Wales' Ella Nelson (2.75m) looms as the one to watch.
Nelson upstaged Breen and Sally Pearson over 200m a week ago in the Sydney Track Classic.
Commonwealth Games representative Ashleigh Whittaker (2.5m), Australian world juniors sprinter Maddie Coates (4.5m) and three-time Olympian Lauren Wells (5.25m) are also in the 121-athlete field, already billed as one of the strongest Women's Gift field.
Australia's fastest schoolboy Jack Hale, who was Ballarat Gift ambassador in February, will run off 2.25m in Stawell.
The 16-year-old has created a buzz in amateur and professional running circuits this summer but missed competing in Ballarat due to a hamstring strain.
Hale's last Gift run was in Adelaide's Bay Sheffield and he was run out of his semi-final off a 2.75m handicap.
Stawell 2011 champion Mitchell Williams-Swain will run off scratch as he bids for a second Stawell sash.
Also at the back of the field is Australian World Championship representative Matt Davies on 0.75m.
Reigning Stawell champion Luke Versace has not entered and while 2013 winner Andrew Robinson (4m) is registered, he is unlikely to compete due to an Achilles injury.
Former Jamaican sprinter and bobsledder Khan Marr (3.25m) will be returning to Stawell after a year off.
Sam Baird (6.5m) is Ballarat's likely best chance. His primary focus is first on the 400m at nationals this week.
STAWELL GIFT
Hamish ADAMS 7.25 metres
David AFATH 5.25
Koffi AGBALETI 9
Blake BAILEY 9
Jason BAILEY 8.5
Stuart BAINBRIDGE 7
Samuel BAIRD 6.5
Corey BAKER 7.5
Keita BANGALIE 4.5
Ryan BEDFORD 4.5
Ted BELCHER 7
Andrew BOUDRIE 7.25
Kevin BRITTAIN 7
Richard BROWN 10
Matt BURLEIGH 7.5
Jordan CALDOW 1.75
Duncan CAMERON 7.5
Andrew CAMPBELL 9
Matt CARTER 2
Ryan CLOHESSY 8
Lawrence COOP 10
Simon CRICHTON 10
Mathew CURRIE 7.25
Jack D'ARCY 7
Jarrad DARTNALL 10
Matt DAVIES 0.75
Jacob DESPARD 4.25
Sam DICK 8
Chris DIEGAN 10
Nathan DIXON 10
Dean DOBRIC 10
Jack DODERICO 8
Peter DUDKIEWICZ 10
Cam DUNBAR 8.75
Isaac DUNMALL 5.25
JONATHAN DYKES 8.75
Luke ECKFORD 8.25
Matthew EDDY 7.75
Alec EISZELE 9.5
Tim ESCHEBACH 6.75
Benjamin FARRELL 8.5
Gary FINEGAN 4.5
Simon FITZPATRICK 8.5
David FLOOD 10
Craig FOLEY 10
Christian FOSTER 6
Brandon GALIC 5.75
Noah GELERIS 7.25
Grayson GENN 8
Jayden GILFILLAN 7.25
Carrick GILL-VALLANCE 10
Rhys GILLSON 8
Jimmie GLADMAN 9.5
Murray GOODWIN 6.5
Douglas GREENOUGH 8.5
Jack HALE 2.25
Jake HAMMOND 2
Matthew HARGREAVES 6.5
Shaun HARGREAVES 6.75
Christopher HARGREAVES 8
Matthew HARVEY 10
Dylan HICKS 9.75
Mark HIGNETT 10
Ryan HOFFMAN 10
Martin HORNE 10
Luke HOULIHAN 7.25
John HOWE 5.25
Darci HUGHES 7.5
Cory INNES 6
Christopher INNES-WONG 6
Simon JACKSON 9
Brodie JACKSON 7
Vincent JASON 8
Will JOHNS 5
Kristerfer KARDAKOVSKI 7.5
Bros KELLY 7.5
William KERR 8.5
Ben KIRK 6.75
Jojo KWENIN 5.5
Reece LA HAYE 7
Brady LEHMANN 9.5
Daniel LEMOTO 9.5
William LITTLE 10
Misha LIZOGUBOFF 9
Conor LOUGHNAN 6.75
Dale LYONS 9.75
Andrew MACK 9
Nick MAGREE 10
Craig MAIR 10
Jackson MALLORY 7
Khan MARR 3.25
Rodney MATHEWS 10
Brendan MATTHEWS 6.75
David MCCRAE 8.25
Caleb McGRATH 8
Nathan McNAB 9
Ryan MCNAMARA 6.75
Maxim MISHCHENKO 6.25
Jake MISPELHORN 7
Ben MISPELHORN 4
Thomas MOLONEY 6.25
Charlie MORAN 8.75
Carl MOREHOUSE 6
Cameron MOSS 8
Kurt MULCAHY 4.5
Matthew MURRAY 7.5
Jasper NETTLEFOLD 7
Jack NEWMAN 6.5
Tom NEWMAN 6.5
Henry NWOSU 8.5
Peter O'DWYER 10
Tom PAAVOLA 8.5
Dylan PANIZZA 7.75
Dion PAULL 8.25
Aaron PENGELLY 9
Jake PENNY 6
Matt PERRY 7.5
Leigh PHELAN 10
David POLICHOVSKI 10
Liam PROCACCINO 8.25
Max PUNCHIHEWA 8
Nicholas REPALUST 7
Brett RICHARDS 7
Daniel RICHARDSON 8.5
Matthew RIZZO 7.25
Andrew ROBINSON 4
Stuart ROOKE 9
Tim ROOKE 4.25
Darcy ROPER 5.75
Timothy ROSEN 10
Glenn ROSS 10
Chad RYAN 9.5
Jake RYDER 10
Jake SANDERS 7
Tjimarri SANDERSON 7
Dean SCARFF 5.5
Ryan SCHMIDT 7.25
Tom SCLANDERS 7
Vic SHARMA 10
Liam SHEPHERD 8
Marty SINCLAIR 10
Bikramjeet SINGH 9.5
Robert SPENCER 7.75
Daniel STEINHAUSER 8.5
Luke STEVENS 2.5
Laurent STEWART 6.25
Luke STORTA 8
Ben SYRUS 7
Russel TAIB 6
Paul TANCREDI 7.25
Lachlan TAYLOR 9.75
Bryce TEO 6.25
Josh TIU 8
Jordan TRONNOLONE 8.25
Mitchell TYSOE 6.5
Ryan VALENT 8.5
Connor VERRALL 7.75
James VINE 6
Michael VOUMARD 9.75
Edward WARE 8.25
Luke WHITNEY 7.25
Darren WHITTAKER 10
Mitchell WILLIAMS 0
James WOODGATE 6.25
Dale WOODHAMS 6.25
Shane WOODROW 10
Hayden WYLLIE 9
Thomas YEUNG 7
STAWELL WOMEN'S GIFT
Cleo ANDERSON 12.5 metres
Becky ANDREW 12
Tara ANGELL 9.75
Karlee BAILEY 11
Chloe BARNARD 14
Sarah BLIZZARD 9.5
Tiffany BOATMAN 14
Cara BOUSTEAD 13.25
Melissa BREEN 0
Monica BRENNAN 3.5
Genevieve BROOKS 12
Nadeen BROWN 14
Lauren BUCANAN 11
Kara BULL 13.5
Annaliese BUSH 9.25
Angela BYRT 5
Rachael CARNEGIE 12
Hannah CARTER 8.5
Jenna CARTLEDGE 10.75
Belinda CARUSI 13.75
Lilly CASTLE 11
Maddie COATES 4.5
Nicola COOMBE 14
Ashleigh CORBETT 8.25
Sarah COTCHETT 13
Carmen DEANE 14
Lillian DICK 10
Holly DOBBYN 6.5
Nadia DOMASCHENZ 11.25
Tara DOMASCHENZ 7
Catherine DONALDSON 14
Jacinta DOYLE 5
Rommi DRISCOLL 14
Hettie DRISCOLL 14
Mikayla DUNN 12.25
Celeste DYER 14
Tierra EXUM 12
Gemma FAIRCLOUGH 12
Jessica FARRUGIA 14
Olivia FIEN 10.5
Eleni GILDEN 12.5
Rosamond GILDEN 14
Lauren GORRINGE 9.75
Elly GRAF 4.5
Catherine HANNELL 11
Samantha HARGREAVES 14
Genevieve HART 14
Tara HAWKING 7
Caitlin HAWKS 12
Keely HENDERSON 13.75
Grainne HENRY 14
Niamh HENRY 14
Catherine HIBBERD 14
Laura Jane HILDITCH 8.25
Courtney HILL 10.5
Julie HOVEY 14
Kendra HUBBARD 5
Kate Hudson 12
Natasha HUGHES 10.5
Sarah HUNTINGTON 14
Sally JAMIESON 14
Stephanie JINKS 14
Kate JONES 11.75
Katie JURY 14
Nicole KAY 5.25
Lauren KEATING 14
Rosie KELLY 10.5
Liesl KETT 14
Jess LEHMANN 12.5
Narelle LEHMANN 13.25
Ellie MAGUIRE 14
Sarah MARSHALL 11
Talia MARTIN 14
Lucy MAYO 12
Jacqueline McCANN 14
Kelly MCDONNELL 12.5
Natasha McDOWELL 14
VERONICA McNEVIN 8.5
Kellie MEYER 8.5
Morgan MITCHELL 5.5
Katie MOORE 8
Kasey MOORE 14
Hollie MORAN 14
Ellie NAGLE 11
Ella NELSON 2.75
Grace O'DWYER 10.25
Hayley OPENSHAW 12.5
Yasmin OPENSHAW 14
Hayley ORMAN 11
Anna PASQUALI 14
Jessica PAYNE 11.5
Corey PENDRY 13
Taylah PERRY 8.25
Angela PHILLIPS 14
Samantha POMROY 13.75
Bridget POWELL 9.5
Sophia POWER 11
Stephanie POWER 7
Melanie PURKISS 10.25
Kiara REDDINGIUS 9.25
Stephanie RICHARDS 10.5
Simone ROTHE 14
Monica RUSSELL 14
Samantha SAMMUT 14
Loryn SAVOIA 14
Poppy SCHWASS 9.25
Tiana SHILLITO 14
Bethany SIMPSON 14
Kirsty STEVENS 12.5
Davina STRAUSS 9.5
Karly TAFFT 14
Sophie TAYLOR 7.5
Carryne TEO 12
Ali TREWARTHA 13.25
Lynette VINEY 9.75
Sophie WATTS 13
Lauren WELLS 5.25
Tori WEST 11
Ashleigh WHITTAKER 2.5
Sophie WOOD 13
Emma YATES 11.5