Donnell Wallam silenced the Australian netball sponsorship critics with an incredible act — before breaking down. Photo / Fox Sports Australia
Donnell Wallam silenced the Australian netball sponsorship critics with an incredible act — before breaking down. Photo / Fox Sports Australia
The Diamonds have paid tribute to Donnell Wallam after she produced a thrilling performance on debut that will go down in netball history.
After weeks in the headlines, Wallam let her netball do the talking by scoring the matchwinning goal in Australia’s thrilling one-goal win over England on Wednesday night.
It couldn’t have been scripted any better as Wallam’s 10-minute cameo in the fourth quarter well and truly ensured her debut wasn’t overshadowed by the sponsorship controversy engulfing Australian netball.
The 28-year-old has unwillingly become the face of Hancock Prospecting’s decision to rip up its $15 million deal with the sport after she objected to wearing the logo of the company because of comments made by its founder Lang Hancock about “sterilising” indigenous Australians in the 1980s.
When she was called upon to replace the tiring Sophie Garbin at goal shooter in the last quarter of a nailbiting clash, Wallam took command of the game in a scintillating display.
She immediately called for a high ball in a one-on-one contest and scored with her first touch of the game.
Wallam kept the Diamonds in touch with eight goals at 100 per cent shooting accuracy and sensed the moment with a brilliant instinctive play to put the Diamonds ahead just as the siren sounded.
It looked like the game was heading to extra time before a brilliant Kate Moloney intercept gave the ball to Wallam, who took a giant leap from the circle edge and tossed the ball in the goal basketball lay-up style as the clock ran out.
Wallam let out an almighty roar in celebration as she was mobbed by her Diamonds teammates and embraced by the England Roses, who sensed the magnitude of the occasion.
She became Diamond No. 189 and just the third indigenous netballer to play for the Diamonds after Sharon Finnan-White and Marcia Ella-Duncan.
“I was kind of relieved to get my chance on court,” Wallam told Fox Netball after the game.
“It’s been the toughest few weeks of my life so to finally get out there and play in this dress was really special. It kind of makes the last couple of weeks feel like a bit of a blur.”
The 28-year-old teared up in a post-match interview as she admitted how much of a toll the past few weeks have taken on her.
“Just the outside noise,” an emotional Wallam said when asked of the most difficult part of becoming the face of netball’s sponsorship saga that centre led to Hancock Prospecting pulling its $15 million partnership.
“Thanks so much to everybody for the support, all the kind messages I’ve been getting. It hasn’t gone unnoticed and it’s really helped me in these last couple of weeks.”
Wallam thanked her Diamonds teammates for their support and said she was delighted to be the third indigenous player to represent Australia.
“It’s really special and I just hope I’m now a role model to the young boys and girls coming through for their turn,” she said.
“I had Marcia Ella-Duncan present me the dress. It’s just really special and it’s been a long time coming. I hope I make everyone proud out there. Every single one of the team members, the staff, has just been amazing.
“Coming into the bubble, we just try and leave the outside noise not impact us. They’ve just really wrapped their arms around me and really embraced me and that’s so special. To be in the camp, it’s such a special feeling especially with this bunch of girls.”
Diamonds coach Marinkovich said putting Mallam into the game late wasn’t a planned move but she was thrilled with the matchwinning goal and her debut as a whole.
“With Donnell coming on in the last part, for someone to come on and debut and grab a moment, she certainly set the stadium alight,” Marinkovich told reporters post-game.
“I’m pretty methodical as a coach so I probably go through a thousand ‘what ifs’ in different situations but it certainly wasn’t a planned move.
“Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t but I’ll take that one any day of the week.
“While it was an incredible moment, I think our training environment, the way the girls are connecting out on court, understanding what their role is out on court, it’s shown the depth of our squad, it’s showing players are coming onto the court confident.”
Donnell Wallam of the Australia Diamonds celebrates. Photo / Getty
Stand-in captain Paige Hadley said she hadn’t seen anything like Wallam’s lay-up move.
“For a young kid on debut to come on and take that shot, I’ve never seen nothing like it,” she said.
“From the moment she came on she commanded that circle. That first ball she said, ‘Put it up’. Really proud of her development during her time in the squad.
“That last 15 seconds, you weren’t sure what was going to happen. For her in that moment to back herself, she saw an open post and went for it, you saw her emotion after that goal. I think it’s just the belief.
“She went out there and saw that post wide open and she went for it. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen her do that in training.”
The Australian captain and coach said Wallam’s confidence to make such an instinctive play was proof of the Diamonds’ resilient and supportive culture.
“You saw the reaction of the girls at the end. For Nelly to even have the confidence to go out there and do that. It’s obviously those around her building that up. That was epic.”
“There has been a lot of outside noise but to be honest we’ve been so connected around our performance,” Marinkovich said.
“She (Wallam) loves the challenge and she loves the moment. She’s been building towards this. I think she’s learning a lot.
“She hasn’t been in a high performance environment too long so there’s things on and off the court she’s still evolving and that’s pretty exciting when you see what’s she’s able to do and still a lot more growth to be had.”
