Donnell Wallam is still shining.
After a huge 2022, the Noongar netballer is ending the year on a high taking home the Emerging Athlete of the Year at the AIS Sport Performance Awards.
Wallam said the award was the "icing on top" of the year.
“I just can’t believe it and it just tops off a big year that I’ve had,” Wallam said.
“It’s really special and after the year I’ve had.
“Once I properly reflect on this year I’ll be able to find some words but right now I’m just honoured to have received this award.”
The award follows the Suncorp Super Netball Rookie of the Year prize the 28-year-old won at the Australian Netball Awards in early December.
Donnell Wallam signed to Queensland Firebirds in January of 2022. Source: AAP / JASON O'BRIEN/AAPIMAGE
Dazzling debuts
Wallam signed with the Queensland Firebirds in January as a replacement player.
She scored 519 goals during her debut Super Netball season and was selected for Australia's netball squad at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the UK.
In early October, she made her Australia's Diamonds debut against England, becoming the third Indigenous woman to represent Australia in the sport. The goal-shooter rounded off a stellar performance on the court scoring the winning goal in the last few seconds of the Test.
Sponsorship saga
Despite a stellar performance, Wallam's Diamonds debut made headlines for other reasons.
Wallam stood staunch against wearing a proposed uniform bearing Hancock Prospecting's logo, as the company's founder, Lang Hancock, previously made horrendous racist comments about Aboriginal people.
The uniform was part of the mining giant's $15m sponsorship of the team.
She also asked current CEO and Hancock's daughter Gina Rinehart to publicly denounce the comments made in 1984.
That didn't happen while the company pulled its sponsorship of the team. The Victorian government then stepped up with Premier Dan Andrews committing the same dollar amount.
