Donnell Wallam shot the match-winning goal in Australia’s one-point victory over England on Wednesday in Newcastle.
It was a stunning performance, cementing Wallam’s name in history as the third First Nations woman to don the green and gold and seeing her netball getting the attention it deserves, after the very difficult few days she’s experienced being at the centre of Netball Australia’s sponsorship saga.
She made eight attempts in the final quarter after replacing goal shooter Sophie Garbin. All eight attempts were successful, including the final point that came just before the siren, seeing the Diamonds win over the Roses, 55 to 54.
Donnell’s netball is superb, especially under pressure. She and her teammates deserve so much more than where a large amount of public opinion has landed over the past week, with so many declaring the players should just be “grateful” to receive the $15 million sponsorship from Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting. The team has been described as everything from “selfish brats” to “brainless sheeple” and ordered to “grow a spine”. They’ve been the centre of commentary from politicians to loud radio personalities and media commentators – many of whom have suddenly had more to say about netball than they’ve likely ever shared on the sport.
Wallam had noted her discomfort wearing the logo on the uniform, on account of horrifically racist remarks Rinehart’s later father and Hancock’s founder Lang Hancock made in the 1980s, including his remark about Indigenous Australians that he would like to “dope the water up so they were sterile and breed themselves out.”
On Friday last week, Donnell agreed to wear the uniform for her international debut. But within 24 hours on Saturday, Rinehart pulled the money anyway.
Wallam’s request could have been an opportunity for Rinehart to distance the business from her father’s comments and address the legacy of racisms and discrimination. Rinehart could have offered to meet with Wallam, to learn about her concerns. But she failed to address the moment.
A number (but frankly not enough) of high-profile male sports personalities have come out openly supporting the netballers including Andrew Gaze, who said while he won’t blame Rinehart for her father’s comments, he can’t “understand why she won’t very publicly disassociate herself from them.” Meanwhile, Anthony Mundine’s also said Rinehart could have apologised for her father’s comments and that he hopes “Donnell knows that there are a lot more people behind her than what she may think”.
“She has taken a strong stand, an important stand, and that shows the courage of her convictions,” Mundine said.
Other, male-dominated sports would be in an easier position to simply reject the Hancock Prospecting sponsorship without it ever becoming frontpage news. Rinehart often works with less-funded and often struggling sports, including having a long association with Swimming Australia.
A few minutes after delivering that match-winning point, Wallam told Fox Netball how relieved she was to have her chance on court, after experiencing one of the toughest weeks in her life.
She thanked her teammates for the support, and everyone who has been sharing messages, saying it hasn’t gone unnoticed. She said the team and everyone within their bubble had put their arms around her and embraced her.
Stand-in captain Paige Hadley said on Wallam’s final point that she had never seen a player come in on debut like that and deliver such an incredible performance.
“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 said.
If Wallam can achieve that kind of performance ten minutes into her international debut, imagine what else she can do?
The second game in the Australian Diamonds vs England Rose series is on Sunday 30th October, in Sydney.