The 34-year-old was happily retired and enjoying her new life as a mother when Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald placed an SOS phone call saying she needed Bulley on her roster after young defender Kristiana Manu'a went down with a knee injury.

Bulley had announced her retirement from the game in 2015 after helping Australia to World Cup success that year, but Fitzgerald was able to coax one of her star pupils back to the court after initially recruiting her services as a specialist defensive coach.

"I went from 'No way you don't want me, I couldn't do it', to 'Oh yeah maybe I'll consider it' to I was at training the next day," Bulley said.

"That's the sort of person Julie is, she doesn't take no for an answer and she managed to convince me to come and have a try. She was happy with how I went in that first training. I quite enjoyed being back running around the netball court.

"One of the things I was most concerned about when Julie asked me to play was I thought I'd embarrass myself. I thought I'd be a slow, unfit, old mum running around the netball court.

"I really surprised myself how well I was able to come back and feel like my old self again."

Fitzgerald's recruitment of Bulley has proven a masterstroke.

She's been one of the competition's most consistent defenders and a steady partner for rapidly developing goalkeeper Sam Poolman, the pair producing another strong showing in last weekend's one-point win over the Magpies.

Bulley also brings a sensational history of success to Sydney's newest club, having won the ANZ Championship with three different teams.

In 2008 she won the title against all odds under Fitzgerald at the Sydney Swifts, before repeating the dose in 2013 with Adelaide, and two years later as a Queensland Firebird.

"The Swifts in 2008, no one expected us to make the top four let alone win the grand final," Bulley said.

"I came off not being selected to the Melbourne Vixens to slotting into the Swifts and getting a starting position there and then going on to make my debut for Australia after that season.

"That was a really memorable win I really enjoyed that one."

Incredibly she now has the chance to win a title with a fourth club, but standing in the way of the Giants and a grand final blockbuster against Sunshine Coast are the classy Vixens on their home court.

Bulley said keeping Mwai Kumwenda and Tegan Philip in check would be crucial.

"Vixens are quite unique in that they have two shooters that have the potential to dominate. You can't let one go to help your mate out because your shooter will start taking the load," Bulley said.

"We're really going to just have to work harder on our own player, take care of our own player and there might be opportunities where we can switch and double one. But the first thing is take care of your own player."