By ALEXANDRA DE VYLDER 

Team Monash will be going for gold at the Australian University Games on the Gold Coast this week, and will be championing team spirit along the way.

Team Monash director Martin Doulton said he hoped the 544 athletes, who will represent Team Monash in 33 sports, would this year convert Monash’s 12 silver medals from last year’s competition into golds.

“Our (hoped-for) outcome is to make sure that as many teams as possible play for a gold medal,” Mr Doulton said.

“Silver is not my favourite colour. We’ve done that pretty consistently.”

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As well as having the most teams finishing in the top four, Team Monash has a history of exemplary sportsmanship. Mr Doulton said winning the Spirit of the Games award in Perth last year was one of his proudest moments as a Monash staff member.

“The balance is that you can perform very well and you can be respectful in the way in which you do it,” he said.

A new uniform design using the distinct colours of Monash University means Monash players, now donning grey, will be easy to distinguish from other teams.

“For the first time in 56 years, every (Monash) player will look the same – on the pitch, on the court – which is just awesome,” Mr Doulton said.

Women’s basketball team captain Sophie Tarabolsi agreed team spirit was an important part of the University Games experience.

She encouraged people to visit as many competitions as possible to spur Team Monash on.

The Monash Women’s netball team are renowned for their success at the University Games.

Competing for the first time in the games, netballer Bonnie Toogood is confident of her team’s ability to snag the elusive gold medal after an intensive training stint.

“Gold on the Gold Coast. That’s what it’s gonna be,” Ms Toogood said.