The Woonona resident announced her retirement following the Diamonds’ successful 2015 World Cup campaign having also won a championship with the Queensland Firebirds.

Her and husband Randall have since welcomed baby Indie into the family and Bulley hadn’t contemplated a return to elite netball until Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald launched an SOS following a preseason injury to Kristiana Manu’a.

With Indie along for the ride,thanks to support from Netball NSW, Bulley has quickly re-emerged as one of the league’s premier defenders. It’s prompted the likes of Liz Ellis to call for her inclusion in the Diamonds squad for the end-of-year Internationals.

It’s not a decision a Bulley expected to face when she returned to the court in January.

“I was really just worried about not embarrassing myself,” Bulley joked.

“[Possible Diamonds selection] has really come out of left field, I wasn’t expecting to be selected at all. 

“I haven’t made a decision about what I’m going to do just yet. I just want to focus on the Giants and play out the rest of this season and see what I decide to do after that.

“I’m actually pretty proud I’ve made it to the end of the season. I’m really enjoying it and I feel like I’ve been playing well.

“I’m just really excited now. I love playing finals netball, I love those pressure situations, particularly when you win them. Hopefully it helps the team to have some of my experience there.”

That experience has been invaluable for the Giants, particularly after an ACL tear prematurely ended captain Kim Green’s season after just four rounds.

Having gone down to Sunshine Coast by a single goal in their final-round clash last week, Bulley expects Saturday’s minor semi-final clash with Collingwood to again be decided late.

“A game like that can go either way,” Bulley said.

“Last time we played Sunshine Coast we won by a goal, this time we lost by a goal. It was a great match but finals netball is a completely different ball-game.

“The most important thing is that we learn from it, particularly those last couple of minutes where we let it slip, because we need to be ready for the Magpies on Saturday. 

“I’d expect that it’s going to be a very tight game. It’s probably going to go down to the wire again.”

With Diamonds goal keeper Sharni Layton patrolling the circle at the defensive end for the Pies, Bulley said she and keeper Sam Poolman will need to put the clamp on star shooter Caitlin Thwaites. 

“For us it is going to be very important that we shut Caitlin Thwaites down,” Bulley said.

“The Magpies are a strong defensive team, as are we, so I think whichever team can shut down the other’s shooters will win the game.”