Super Netball 2021: Firebirds stars back together after becoming mums

Kim Ravaillion and Gretel Bueta reunite on the court Sunday as the Super Netball returns – and a pregnancy prophecy from years ago shines a light on their unique friendship.

Nostradamus eat your heart out.

Even history’s most famous fortune teller would have done well to toss up the prophecy netball supermums Kim Ravaillion and Gretel Bueta made about their own lives when they first flatted together seven years ago.

“We met when we were 20 and we said ‘right we want to find our dream guys by 25, get engaged, then have a baby by 27’,’’ Ravaillion said.

“It’s actually so funny that it happened. We specifically said 27. That was the big number. We had been living together for a few years and we just said it one night. It’s just so crazy that it has happened for both of us. Now we are back playing. We have a very unique friendship and very lucky to have crossed paths.

“We were super close when I was at the Firebirds last time and the fact we have now gone through the same experience with pregnancy. It is actually really special.’’

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Kim Ravaillion with daughter Georgie. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Gretel Tippett with son Bobby. Picture: Lachie Millard

Born three days apart in July 1993, Bueta (nee Tippett) and Ravaillion kept their “27 pledge’’ with Bueta giving birth to a son, Bobby, in January, six months after turning 27 and Ravaillion a daughter Georgie, four months before her 27th birthday.

The duo have not played together at the Firebirds since sharing a title in 2016 because Ravaillion left for a three-season stint with Collingwood, which she enjoyed far less than her first stint at the Firebirds.

But after a season off both are determined to prove that netball and nappies can sit comfortably in the same sporting life and the spike in Firebirds memberships has been put down to fan fascination with the “mums and bubs’’ theme.

Their mission hasn’t changed since 2015 but the chat has.

“Our conversations have changed from when we first joined the Firebirds,’’ Bueta said.

“We might have chatted then about where we were eating out over the weekend and what we were wearing. Little things. Now it might be about how many hours sleep we got last night or how breast feeding is going.’’

Ravaillion adds: “We bounce off each other and comfort each other when we are tired and cry with each other. We talk about sleep a lot.’’

Bueta and Ravaillion celebrate after winning the 2015 Grand Final. Picture: Jono Searle

Bueta and Ravaillion with Diamonds teammates Laura Geitz, Gabi Simpson and Clare McMeniman in 2015. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Former teammates such as Laura Geitz made have combined motherhood and netball but Bueta was not overwhelmed by anecdotal evidence from the wider sporting world when she went net surfing.

“I had a look on the internet and there is still not much data out there of women returning to sport. I looked up (United States soccer captain) Alex Morgan and followed her story. She came back to playing after having her daughter in 2019 and it was awesome to see,” Bueta said.

“She played her first game four months after getting back and I knew that was my goal as well. So that really helped me.’’

Ravaillion’s return to the Firebirds triggered unexpected controversy when her partner, AFL star Adam Treloar, was crassly traded from Collingwood to the Western Bulldogs amid club concerns he would struggle being away from his partner and new born baby in Brisbane.

“It was a hectic time although Adam and I were so consumed by Georgie we did not exactly have time to read what was going on and what people were saying,” Ravaillion said.

Niko and Gretel Bueta. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Adam Treloar and Kim Ravaillion. Picture: Quinn Rooney

“Our friends were saying ‘are you guys OK?’ and we would say ‘what is going on?’

“We were sort of oblivious to it. We stayed in our little bubble.

“We kept close to each other and enjoyed our little bubble and kind of just watched Georgie flourish in that time.

“There are always challenges but we are so fortunate these days we have Facetime so Adam sees Georgie two or three times a day on the phone The best part about it is she recognises who he is and says Daddy.

“That connection is there and he is doing amazing at the Bulldogs. I think they have really embraced him as a person. He is playing really well so we are just living our lives and enjoying our careers as we can.

“I had such a good time at the Firebirds when I was here before. At the Magpies I did not enjoy the netball as much as I would like to. Getting pregnant was a bit of a blessing in disguise because it allowed me to find my feet again.’’

Kim Ravaillion with daughter Georgie and Gretel Bueta with son Bobby at Hawthorne. Picture: Josh Woning

The duo have been managed in their return to the court by an experienced support team of physios and specialists.

While Bueta has her husband Niko for support, Ravaillion has turned to her mother for a helping hand.

“I am so fortunate mum is with me. We always have two of everything just in case. Mum is amazing. She had to deal with twins so she is more than capable of looking after Georgie for me,’’ she said.

The Firebirds have been disappointing in recent seasons but there is a buzz around the team this season with former Diamonds assistant coach Megan Anderson taking the clipboard and Ravaillion experienced across all three midcourt positions and suddenly finding herself a senior voice.

“I can remember coming in the group when I was the young one and suddenly I am in that older role so I have gone full circle,” she said.

“All we have to do now is believe in ourselves.’’

Bueta will join an already outstanding shooting line-up of Romelda Aiken and Tippah Dwan and feels time away from the game has made her a better player.

“Having that year off has helped my game. I have watched from the sidelines and learnt even more about the game. I have listened to the coaches and learnt from them,” Bueta said.

“Even though I am an attacker just watching how some defenders defend was interesting. It reinforced to me how much I loved the game.’’

“There definitely is the optimism here.’’

You don’t have to be Nostradamus to sense a Firebirds revival is nigh.