On this week’s edition of the Official Liberty A-League Podcast, legends Catherine Cannuli and Teresa Polias discussed Melbourne Victory striker Melina Ayres’ ceiling and whether she could make the leap into the Matildas.
With each passing performance, Melina Ayres’ star continues to shine brighter.
The Melbourne Victory striker has been a force for the reigning champions, putting together her best campaign yet, scoring 12 goals in 12 games – including a hat-trick in their dramatic 3-3 penalty shootout Semi Final win over Melbourne City last weekend.
Since returning from an injury lay-off this season, Ayres has now scored seven goals in her last six games heading into a monster Preliminary Final match-up against Sydney FC on Saturday afternoon.
The 24-year-old is only the second player in the competition’s history to score a hat-trick in the finals series alongside Matildas captain Sam Kerr who achieved the same feat at Perth Glory in 2019.
In fact, Ayres has done it not once, but twice, scoring her first finals hat-trick in the 2021 Semi Final win over Brisbane Roar.
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Off the back of her performances, calls for her to get an opportunity with the Matildas are growing.
Former Western Sydney Wanderers coach Catherine Cannuli is one of those who believes she can make the leap, saying Ayres could follow in the footsteps of Kerr – if she’s able to stay injury-free – something that has hindered her throughout the last two seasons.
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“She’s a freak. She can score goals from anywhere. We’ve seen that,” Cannuli said on The Official Liberty A-League Podcast.
“My biggest concern for Melina Ayres is her fitness and her ability to stay on the pitch. I tweeted it straight after the game; if we can get her fit and playing a full home and away season, she could be the next Sam Kerr.
“She actually has an eye for goal, that’s something we’re really lacking within Australian football. If you look at all the top goal scorers; Hannah Keane, she’s an American, that’s who’s won our Golden Boot. That for me is concerning.
“Michelle Heyman has done fantastic to be up there, but we need our Aussie girls winning Golden Boot we need them up there. That is something we’re lacking within our structure of football. Not just in female football, but in men’s football as well.
“We don’t have proper out-and-out strikers who can find the back of the net so easily. I think Melina Ayres definitely has that knack as a striker, she has that natural ability.
“If we can get everything else right for her, she is definitely someone that will be one of those next Matildas who will be in the fold.”
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While a call-up for the FIFA Women’s World Cup may be beyond the realms of possibility for Ayres, an opportunity heading into the next cycle certainly isn’t.
Former Sydney FC midfielder Teresa Polias also weighed in, saying she must be “considered” by coach Tony Gustavsson and his staff going forward.
“(The Matildas is) definitely (a realistic goal),” she said.
“During the season, she was off injured for a bit of time, so she didn’t come into the conversation as much. You could see when she did come back, she wasn’t there yet, she needed to get some minutes into her and find her form again.
“Now, seeing the form she’s in and the mentality she has… just her ability to score goals when her team needs, she’s done this year upon year. It is probably too late now to bring her in on the (Matildas) conversation, who knows though?
“Definitely for the next cycle the Matildas will be starting after the World Cup, surely she’s got to be considered.”
