A-League women, 2023: Jets hired gun ready to fire in F3 derby

Throw in Sam Kerr, Caitlin Foord or any of the other Matildas stars.

"As far as a goal-scorer is concerned, I haven't seen much better," van Egmond said. "We can talk about the national team. Take Sam and Caitlin for example, Melina is a more polished finisher than both of them.

"She will score with one-touch finishes, can use both feet and is strong in the air."

Ayres will make her Newcastle Jets debut in the A-League women's season-opener against arch rivals Central Coast in Gosford on Saturday.

The 24-year-old netted 12 goals for Melbourne Victory last season and was van Egmond's No.1 recruitment target.

"She was a very important signing for us," the coach said. "You need a proven goal-scorer and she is exactly that. You get a player like Melina and that helps attract other players."

Ayres has represented Australia at under-20 level and van Egmond is confident that she can take the next step.

"She has always been there or thereabouts from a Matildas perspective," he said. "She is ambitious. She wants to be the top goal-scorer this year. It is the best shape I have ever seen her. In the box she is a predator. The next part is to give her more tools. When is the best time to shoot? When is the best time to combine? How does she position herself in the box? Once she passes where she moves ... things of that nature."

Ayres' focus is simply on winning games for the Jets.

"It (Matildas) is not a goal for me. I play better when I just want to win for the team," she said. "That is how I have done well in previous years. If we win, I am probably having a good game."

Though playing for the Matildas may be at the back of Ayres' mind, like most of Australia, she was blown away by success of the national team at the World Cup.

"I had friends who had never thought about soccer wearing Matildas shirts and going to the pub to watch the games," she said. "It was amazing to see so many people caring about women's sport.

"Sometimes it can be disheartening when there is 100 people at a game. It is like 'why are we doing this'.

"Watching some of my best mates put up in lights was awesome. It was so good to see them get the recognition they deserve."

Ayres scored the match-winner as the Jets wrapped up their pre-season with a 1-0 triumph over Western Sydney last weekend.

"For myself and the team it was good to get the money off the back before the start of the season," she said.

"It has been a bit of a crash course pre-season.

"We have a lot of new players and have had to learn how each other plays.

"I'm really excited to get some wins on the board and prove people wrong. Historically, the club has struggled and a lot of people don't expect us to do well. When I started at Melbourne Victory we were dead last. Then we built up over the years to win it. I would really love to help this club do the same thing."

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Ayres is from Ocean Grove, a seaside town south of Melbourne.

She joined Melbourne City as a 16-year-old in 2015 and two years later moved to Victory, where she stayed until this season.

"I really needed a change," she said. "Being part of a new set-up and working with Gary and all the girls has been a fresh perspective.

"It has been a really easy transition. Everything has fallen into place. It makes it easy to come to training and focus on that."

The beach lifestyle was a big attraction in the move to Newcastle.

"I have been for a few surfs at Merewether and Dixon Park," she said. "I am keen to explore some more. It has been pretty fun.

"If I can go for a surf I play better because I can switch off. When you are on a wave it is a blank canvas and you have to find an opportunity. Trying to score you have to find the right opportunity."

As well as soccer and surfing, Ayres was a talented cricketer and made the Victorian under-18 side.

"I am mates with Georgia Wareman and Soph Molineux who are killing it on the world stage," Ayres said. "When Elyse Perry was deciding whether to play cricket or soccer, I was getting a bit older too. There was one year I made the Vic under-18 cricket team and Melbourne City team. I took the opportunity with Melbourne City and ran with that. 'I'm glad it was soccer. I have been to some amazing places with it and made lifelong friends."

The Jets went down 3-2 to the Mariners in their first hit-out of the pre-season.

"We didn't show anywhere near what we can do in that game," Ayres said. "That game was a true first hit-out. Gary did a good job of organising a lot of games in pre-season, which we needed being such a new bunch.

"We worked a lot on defence at the start of pre-season. Now we have it going, we have been a bit more creative going forward. The girls have more confidence to know where to run and are backing their own ability. We got a goal on the weekend from a good combination. We are ready."