Rebecca Bulley

Rebecca Bulley

Bulley in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Rebecca Bulley (née Strachan)
Born	(1982-08-18) 18 August 1982 Victoria, Australia
Height	186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Occupation	Schools Program Coordinator
Relatives	Kieran Strachan, Meredith Ball
Netball career
Playing position(s): GD, GK, WD
Medal record Representing Australia Netball World Championships 2015 Australia Netball World Netball Series 2009 Manchester Fastnet Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Netball
Last updated: 15 October 2010

Rebecca Bulley (née Strachan on 18 August 1982) is an Australian international netball player. A defence circle player, Bulley was included in the Australian national squad in 2005 and 2007–2015. Previously, she was the co-captain of the Melbourne Kestrels and of the AIS Canberra Darters during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Bulley has also played for the New South Wales Swifts the Adelaide Thunderbirds and is currently playing for the Queensland Firebirds in the ANZ Championship.

Career

In 2008, after not being included into the Melbourne Vixens squad for the inaugural ANZ Championship, Bulley accepted an offer to play for the NSW Swifts. In the 2008 ANZ Championship, Bulley became one of the main defenders in the Swifts line up along with Kimberly Purcell and Selina Gilsenan after Liz Ellis (retired in 2007) and Mo'onia Gerrard (played for Adelaide Thunderbirds) left the Swifts. As a result, the Swifts won the 2008 ANZ Championship Grand Final against Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic where Bulley played as Goal Keeper (GK) for the whole match. In 2008 Bulley also made her on-court debut for the Australian Netball Diamonds against the Silver Ferns at the Wing Defence (WD) position for the first half of the game. Bulley also played for the Australian Netball Diamonds as Goal Defence (GD) against England.

In 2009, during an ANZ Away from the Game segment, Bulley had surfing lessons with other members of the team, Vanessa Ware and Erin Bell. In the 2009 ANZ Championship, Bulley played in all thirteen games at Wing Defence (WD), Goal Defence (GD) and Goal Keeper (GK). In round 3 against the Magic, during the second quarter, Bulley had a heavy fall on the ground and was sidelined for the remainder of the game. This was the only game Bulley did not play in all four quarters of a match. Later on, despite not being included in the Australian Diamonds squad, she eventually got a call that she was included to replace injured players Bianca Chatfield, Mo'onia Gerrard and Laura Geitz. At that time, Bulley trained with the Diamonds during training in Invercargill. In the 2009 World Netball Series, Bulley was part of the 12 player squad replacing Mo'onia Gerrard. During the World Netball Series, Bulley played in Goal Defence (GD) and was one of the key players against England to claim third in the championship. After the World Netball Series, Bulley was part of the 12 player squad against England in Bath and Jamaica in Kingston.

In 2010, Bulley played for the Australian Diamonds against Scotland and England where she took part in every match at Goal Defence, Wing Defence (against Scotland) and Goal Keeper (against England). In the 2010 ANZ Championship, Bulley played in every match at Goal Defence and Goal Keeper. At the end of the regular season, Bulley won the Holden Cruze Player of the Year Award with 18 votes, 4 points ahead of second place and fellow Swifts player Catherine Cox. Bulley also won the NSW Swifts MVP award and the Members' Player of the Year award. After the ANZ Championship, Bulley was selected as one of the fifteen members of the Australian squad to take part in test matches against Jamaica and New Zealand. Bulley was selected in the final squad of twelve to take part in the 2010 Commonwealth Games including the gold medal match against New Zealand during overtime.

In 2011, Bulley was part of the twelve player squad to tour in Jamaica playing at either Wing Defence or Goal Defence. In the ANZ Championship, Bulley played in every match at either Goal Defence and Goal Keeper.

In August 2015, Bulley announced her immediate retirement from netball after a gold medal winning campaign with the Australian Diamonds at the 2015 Netball World Cup as well as winning the ANZ Championship with the Queensland Firebirds earlier in 2015.

Awards

• 2010 Holden Cruze Player of the Year – 18 votes
• 2010 QBE NSW Swifts Most Valued Player
• 2010 Members' Player of the Year

External links

• 2009 New South Wales Swifts profile. Retrieved on 2009-03-12.
• Bulley-girl tactics. Retrieved on 2009-10-30.