Dream week continues for Geitz and Bulley

Firebirds Laura Geitz and Rebecca Bulley were still on a high from their ANZ Championship win when they were named in Australia's Netball World Cup squad.

As far as weeks go, they don't get much headier than this for Laura Geitz and Rebecca Bulley.

The Queensland Firebirds teammates didn't even have time to come down from their epic ANZ Championship win before they were named in Australia's final Netball World Cup squad on Wednesday.

For Firebirds captain Geitz, the hysteria of leading her team to Sunday's last-gasp triumph over the NSW Swifts has been intoxicating.

But she knows she's got to be the first to snap out of it as she prepares to skipper the Diamonds to a potential third consecutive world title in August.

Geitz and Bulley are two of three Queensland players to make the cut in coach Lisa Alexander's 12-strong team, with Kim Ravaillion also named.

But with other fellow Firebirds Clare McMeniman, Gabi Simpson and Gretel Tippett overlooked from the provisional squad, they're well aware the fight for starting spots will be fierce.

"It's the cream of the crop, you've seen there's so much depth across all positions on court, and that's a wonderful position for Lisa to be in," Geitz said.

"She had to obviously make some tough calls with the selection alone, and now it only gets tougher in choosing who she wants to be the starting seven."

One player the coach has put her faith in is Bulley, who will fill the defensive spot freed up by retired Commonwealth Games star Bianca Chatfield.

Despite not featuring alongside Geitz and Ravaillion in last year's gold medal-winning Glasgow Games side, Bulley offers experience with 38 caps to her name.

However she admitted she was surprised to be picked after starting off the bench for much of the trans-Tasman season.

"I was aware that it was going to be tough for me to make the team considering that I had had limited court time," Bulley said.

But Alexander praised the Diamonds' longest-serving member for her capacity to pick up any of the three defensive positions.

Sharni Layton presents the most competition for Geitz after the Swifts goal keeper wrapped up a smoking season in the circle and proved she's a strong head in high-impact situations.


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Source: AAP


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