Gretel Bueta’s World Cup absence sends ripples through Australian netball | Erin Delahunty

The loss of the pregnant Diamonds star forces coach Stacey Marinkovich to pivot and reassess the whole attack end

This changes everything. That was the netball world’s collective reaction when Gretel Bueta – arguably the best player on the planet – revealed at the weekend she is pregnant, meaning she will miss the World Cup in South Africa later this year and the Super Netball season.

The 29-year-old has not played for Australia since last year’s gold medal-winning Commonwealth Games campaign, where she was among the Diamonds’ most dominant players, terrorising defenders with her agility, aggression and accuracy.