Netball: Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich won’t force new goalers to be Gretel Bueta 2.0 at Constellation Cup 2022
How do you replace the world’s best player? Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich says you can’t - and she won’t be trying to.
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Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich has labelled star goaler Gretel Bueta “irreplaceable” and will not try and replicate the unique skill set of the Firebird when deciding the shooting combination for next week’s Constellation Cup opener.
Marinkovich said the beauty of Australian netball was its depth of talent and she was excited at the players’ reaction in camp, where her shooters were developing combinations and pushing for opportunities after Bueta withdrew from the series to take immediate maternity leave after confirming earlier this week she was pregnant with her second child.
“She’s the star of the game and certainly not replaceable,” Marinkovich said of Bueta, who was named player of the tournament at the Quad Series earlier this year before stamping her class on the Diamonds’ gold medal performance at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Bueta’s athleticism and accuracy allowed Australia to dominate the shooting circle in both those tournaments and they’re likely to have to find a different way in seven Tests over the next month against New Zealand’s Silver Ferns and England’s Roses.
But the challenge does not faze Marinkovich, who is looking forward to helping develop the next generation of Australian talent rather than try and fit a square peg into a round hole to manufacture Bueta 2.0.
“We don’t try and replace anybody within our squad because they all have such different and unique skill sets,” she said.
“And that’s the beauty of Australian netball is that we do have some great talent, we have some really good youth and when a door opens, some of the girls really just jump straight through it and really want to take that opportunity out on court.
“It’s exciting what’s happening at camp and, you know, it’s challenging us with our depth.”
The Diamonds are likely to start with Steph Wood and Cara Koenen in the opening Test in Auckland next Wednesday, the Sunshine Coast Lightning duo who already have a great understanding and were the shooters other than Bueta on court in the gold-medal match in Birmingham.
But Marinkovich conceded there could yet be changes to the squad overall.
Bueta was slated to play against both the Silver Ferns and Roses, while Wood, also the Diamonds’ vice-captain was set to play only the four New Zealand Tests.
Kiera Austin, a goaler who has also shown great form in the midcourt recently, will also play in both series, while potential debutants Sophie Dwyer (New Zealand) and Donnell Wallam (England) were pencilled in for one series each, with Sophie Garbin to come into the squad for the Roses matches.
Marinkovich may yet tinker with those combinations but she remains adamant no one will be handed a gold dress for the sake of development.
“There’s still the fundamentals around how we want to deliver out on court and we understand what standard we need to play to, to be successful,” she said.
“It is true, no one gets handed a gold dress, it has to be earnt.
“I guess with the way that we’re extending and utilising our squad over two series enables players to have a closer opportunity to step out on court.
“But they also know that they have to be able to get those connections and deliver in the training environment so that we know that it has real potential to transfer.”
The Diamonds head to New Zealand on Sunday to prepare for Wednesday’s Constellation Cup opener, with Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua conceded in an interview in New Zealand Bueta’s absence due to maternity leave was a slight “thank goodness” moment.
But, like Marinkovich, she is excited for Bueta’s opportunity to expand her family and as a two-time Super Netball premiership-winning coach, knows better than most the extent of Australia’s depth.
“I am a bit mean I suppose in thinking ‘thank goodness’,” Taurua said to New Zealand’s RNZ on hearing Bueta’s news.
“She’s such a massive firepower for Diamonds and she showed her prowess at Commonwealth Games, how she led that end and is so hard to stop.
“So we will take that as we have with our mummies that we’ve had in our team. And it’s the opportunity once again for us to shine.
“(But) what we know is when one comes out, another one comes in for Diamonds, that’s why they’re so good.”
WHY DIAMONDS STAR DECIDED TO REVEAL ‘SURPRISE' PREGNANCY NEWS
—Jane Armitstead
Australian Diamond star Gretel Bueta said finding out she was pregnant with her second child was “a very exciting surprise.”
The Queensland Firebirds and Australian netball superstar, 29, announced her pregnancy on social media on Tuesday and said she would be immediately taking a break from sport.
Bueta, who has a 21-month-old son Bobby, was due to start a training camp with the Diamonds on Monday ahead of the upcoming international series against New Zealand and England, but has withdrawn to focus on family.
“It’s very early still but I chose to tell both teams as soon as I knew because there was the tour coming up and I was needing to be replaced,” she said.
“Ideally I would have waited (to tell people), but I knew I was required on tour, the Diamonds have been phenomenal and put the ball in my court.
“I wasn’t comfortable playing knowing I was pregnant and not sure I would have been able to perform the way I would like knowing I have a little bubba growing, so I decided to stay home.”
Bueta found out the exciting news on Friday last week after a Diamonds training session and admits it was unexpected.
“It’s a nice surprise, a very exciting surprise,” she said.
“Believe it or not I had a big stack at training that day and was not thinking I was pregnant, it was a big training session too before heading into camp on Monday.
“We have to do Dexa scans (routine fitness tests) which isn’t advised to do when pregnant, so I thought I’d take a test before I did that and the test came back positive.”
Bueta swiftly changed her plans which she had in the coming weeks to meet her parents with Bobby in New Zealand for the first leg of the Diamonds tour.
But Bueta, alongside her husband, Niko, said she couldn’t be more thrilled with their growing family with the baby due “early to mid next year”.
“We’d always hoped to have a sibling for Bobby and we know he’s going to be an amazing big brother,” she said.
“Nothing compares to having a baby and growing a family and I think it’s really something special about our sport in that it’s embraced and its part of life.
“To be support and able to grow a family and play professional sport was untouched territory a few years ago.”
Bueta said she hasn’t decided when she’ll return to the sport this time, after returning to netball four months after the birth of Bobby, but will sit out the Super Netball 2023 season with the Queensland Firebirds.
FIREBIRDS’ FAILURE EXPOSED BY STAR’S PREGNANCY JOY
- Emma Greenwood
Australia’s Commonwealth Games golden girl Gretel Bueta has shocked the Diamonds with the wonderful news she is pregnant with her second child and set to immediately take time away from the sport.
Widely regarded as the world’s best player who helped lead the Diamonds to the Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham a couple of months ago, Bueta revealed her family news via her Instagram account on Tuesday morning.
“Niko and I are so excited for Bobby to be a big brother and welcome another baby to our family,” Bueta said.
“I am so grateful to our extended Diamonds and Firebirds family, the love and support from my teammates and support staff has been overwhelming.
“I can’t wait to cheer them on from the sidelines.”
The timing of Bueta’s announcement comes as the Diamonds enter camp for seven international matches in the next month with four clashes against New Zealand in the Constellation Cup followed by a three Test series against England.
Bueta has immediately withdrawn from the squad and will sit out the entire 2023 Super Netball season.
While Bueta is the leader of the Diamonds attack, coach Stacey Marinkovich has named an extended squad for the upcoming internationals with the likes of Cara Koenen, Steph Wood, Donnell Wallam, Sophie Dwyer and Sophie Garbin all expected to get significant game time over the next month.
Marinkovich was thrilled for Bueta and her family.
“Gretel, Niko and Bobby are part of the Diamonds family and we’re excited they will be welcoming their second child next year,” Marinkovich said.
“Bobby brings so much joy to the Diamonds program and we can’t wait to see him become a big brother.
“It is particularly challenging to navigate professional sport and parenthood, and our number one priority is to provide a supportive environment for our athletes and staff.
“We will continue to support Gretel throughout her pregnancy and look forward to welcoming her back when the time is right for her and her young family. Family always comes first.”
Bueta’s year off is set to provide a huge opportunity for the next generation of players considering next year’s major tournament is a World Cup in South Africa in July where Bueta will be missing.
While she returned to playing just four months after the birth of her first child, Bobby, in 2021 she won’t be rushing back in 2023.
Bueta’s family news is also set to impact the Queensland Firebirds with Bueta forming a promising attack with Wallam last season.
Goal attack Mia Stower looms as the likely starting replacement while the maternity leave absence might open the door for training partner Charlie Bell to see some action in 2023.
But for Firebirds fans there would be a sense of what if after the club failed to offer Romelda Aiken-George a new deal last season prompting the Jamaican international and former title winner shooter to sign a deal with the NSW Swifts.
Aiken-George, who made a shock comeback from the birth of her daughter Gianna just six weeks after she was born when she sat on the bench for Jamaica, signed a training partner deal last week with the Swifts.
The 33-year-old had expressed disappointment her contract with the Firebirds was not renewed after taking the 2022 season off for maternity leave.
New Firebirds coach Bec Bulley, who arrived at the club after the player signing period, said the club would immediately begin the search for a replacement for Bueta.
“The process to replace a world-class talent like Gretel won’t be easy but we’ll be making sure to search near and far to secure the best available player for our 2023 Firebirds squad,” Bulley said.
We’re just thrilled for Gretel and wish her and her family all the best over the coming months.
“On behalf of the entire club and all of Netball Queensland I pass on my most heartfelt congratulations to Gretel, Niko and Bobby on this exciting news.
“While Gretel won’t be on the court with us next year, she will of course remain a big part of the Firebirds team throughout the pre-season and SSN23 campaign. And we look forward to welcoming the newest member of our Purple Family.”
The Queensland Firebirds star took extended leave when her first son, Bobby was born and is expected to make a similar decision this time.
Bueta’s announcement comes just months after her team the Firebirds didn’t renew the contract of veteran Romelda Aiken when she was six months pregnant.
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