World champion Danni Miatke wants the 50m butterfly to be known as her event, and stepped closer to doing so with a comfortable Victorian swimming championship victory.

The 18-year-old emerged from obscurity with her world championship gold medal in the event in Montreal last year.

It was a far lower key occasion at her state titles at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre.

But a reasonable 27.15 seconds to win the final, clocked in the pool to be used for the national trials later this month and the Commonwealth Games in March, was cause for optimism, particularly as Miatke is still in hard training.

Originally from Darwin but now based in Melbourne, Miatke admits she wants ownership of the event she loves best - and hopes that will come with better performances at the nationals and Games.

"This is my event, and I don't mean it in an arrogant sense. This is my favourite event, my pet event," Miatke said.

"But I'm ready for the challenge, so bring it on."

Miatke impressed in both heat and semi-final swims, then lowered her semis time by more than half a second for a Victorian all-comers record.

Showing just how competitive Australian women's swimming is, Miatke believes it will take something like the time she set at the worlds - 26.11 - just to qualify for the Games team.

"It's going to have to be pretty fast - I think I'm going to have come down around my PB," she said.

"I'd love to go under 26. I've got a really positive outlook for that event."

Olympian Elka Graham's comeback took tentative steps with a third place in the women's 400m freestyle final behind Victorian Haylee Reddaway.

Graham has only just returned to the pool after a hip operation and is still gathering race fitness - as her 4:14.56 to Reddaway's slick 4:11.52 showed.

"It obviously wasn't the best 400, but what matters is getting a swim in the new pool and what happens in 27 days' time when we race in the nationals," Graham said.

"I am very confident I can bring that time down."

Queenslander Ashley Callus, also on the comeback trail, withdrew from the men's 50m freestyle final.

Callus had set himself for just two races in his return after a year out of the pool, and was content with swimming in the heats and semis before flying back to Queensland.

His withdrawal left veterans Brett Hawke and Michael Klim to fight out the final, with Hawke winning in 22.26 to Klim's 23.03.

Earlier Klim was the fastest qualifier for Friday night's 50m butterfly final, clocking 24.03 in his semi-final to edge out Matt Welsh (24.56) and Hawke (24.70).

50m breaststroke winner Brooke Hanson continued her good form, qualifying fastest for Friday night's 100m breaststroke final in 1:08.30.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP