A surprise name has surged to the top of the eToro Transfer Power Rankings to be crowned the Liberty A-League’s Signing of the Season in 2023-24.
The eToro Transfer Power Rankings ranked all of this season’s new signings based off their Opta Index score for the season; the rankings shifted from month to month but after the conclusion of the regular season, we can crown the best signing of the 2023-24 campaign.
Read on for the top 10 signings in the eToro Transfer Power Rankings at the end of the 2023-24 Liberty A-League season.
Who dropped out of the top 10 from the end of March? Emina Ekic
Who broke into the top 10 after February? Melina Ayres
eToro Transfer Power Rankings – Top 10 (March alone – Opta index): Melina Ayres (87.2), Casey Dumont (78.2), Mariana Speckmaier (75.3), Courtney Newbon (73.1), Taylor Otto (69.8), Bárbara (69.5), Emily Gielnik (69.0), Wurigumula (67.8), Tameka Yallop (67.8)
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Final eToro Transfer Power Rankings
10. Rylee Foster
- Ranking last month: 10th
- Opta index: 69.3
- Transfer: Free agent -> Wellington Phoenix
Rylee Foster was 10th on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings after February and the Phoenix keeper holds her position at the season’s end.
The two-time Player of the Month award-winner has had a debut season to remember in the Liberty A-League. The Canadian made 19 appearances throughout the season, kept six clean sheets and made 77 saves.
9. Sarah Langman
- Ranking last month: 7th (dropped two places)
- Opta index: 69.4
- Transfer: Perth Glory -> Central Coast Mariners
Sarah Langman finishes ninth on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings after splitting goalkeeping duties at Central Coast Mariners with Casey Dumont this season.
Langman made 10 appearances for the Mariners this season, kept three clean sheets and made 34 saves.
8. Wurigumula
- Ranking last month: 9th (climbed one place)
- Opta index: 69.8
- Transfer: Changchun Jiuyin Loans -> Central Coast Mariners
Wurigumula has been in and around the top 10 of the eToro Transfer Power Rankings all season and ends the campaign in eighth. The Chinese international scored eight goals in her debut Liberty A-league season, and notched two assists.
7. Melina Ayres
- Ranking last month: N/A
- Opta index: 70.7
- Transfer: Melbourne Victory -> Newcastle Jets
A late-season rampage helped Newcastle Jets striker Melina Ayres fly up the eToro Transfer Power Rankings. The former Melbourne Victory star broke into the top 10 for the first time in March, scoring four goals in her last two games of the season.
Ayres’ Opta Index score of 87.2 in March was the highest of any player in the league for the month by some distance, and bumped her average Opta Index score for the season up to 70.7.
6. Rachel Lowe
- Ranking last month: 4th (dropped two places)
- Opta index: 71.6
- Transfer: Sydney FC -> Melbourne Victory
A superb debut season at Melbourne Victory ends with a sixth-placed finish on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings for Rachel Lowe.
The 23-year-old former Sydney FC star scored 12 goals in her maiden campaign at Victory, including two in her last two games.
5. Mariana Speckmaier
- Ranking last month: 8th (climbed three places)
- Opta index: 73.2
- Transfer: Free agent -> Wellington phoenix
With 10 goals and two assists in her first Liberty A-League campaign, Venezuela international Mariana Speckmaier had a season to remember at Wellington – and capped it off with a fifth-place finish on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings, as well as the March Player of the Month award.
4. Emily Gielnik
- Ranking last month: 1st (dropped three places)
- Opta index: 74.7
- Transfer: Aston Villa -> Melbourne Victory
Emily Gielnik sat on top of the off-season signings leaderboard after February but couldn’t maintain her lead to the end of the season. An Opta Index score of 74.7 for the campaign was bolstered by eight goals and two assists – including a hat-trick against Adelaide United in early March.
3. Sarina Bolden
- Ranking last month: 2nd (dropped one place)
- Opta index: 77.8
- Transfer: Free agent -> Newcastle Jets
Another favourite for the title of signing of the season, Newcastle Jets striker Sarina Bolden had 11 goals on the board after 12 appearances but just one goal in her last five games of the season halted her momentum as the Philippines international settled for a third-place finish on the eToro Transfer Power Rankings.
2. Casey Dumont
- Ranking last month: 5th (climbed three places)
- Opta index: 78.2
- Transfer: Free agent -> Central Coast Mariners
Casey Dumont did not have a place in the top 10 of the eToro Transfer Power Rankings at the end of January. But in just months, the Central Coast Mariners goalkeeper shot up the leaderboard to finish the regular season in second place.
Dumont made nine appearances for the Mariners this season, keeping two clean sheets with a highlight performance coming against Canberra in March, in which she produced 11 saves in a 4-1 win.
1. Courtney Newbon
- Ranking last month: 3rd (climbed two places)
- Opta index: 78.4
- Transfer: Free agent -> Melbourne Victory
We have a winner!
Melbourne Victory’s mid-season signing Courtney Newbon finishes the campaign on top of the eToro Transfer Power Rankings.
Interestingly, Newbon began the season at Central Coast but the return of both Casey Dumont and Sarah Langman from injury meant the 23-year-old was in need of a fresh opportunity.
Newbon found a home at Victory as an injury replacement for Miranda Templemen and after an injury to first-choice keeper Lydia Williams, Newbon has thrived as Victory’s No.1. She made 12 appearances for Jeff Hopkins side, and kept three clean sheets.
