QUEENSLAND Firebird Donnell Wallam has capped her remarkable 2022 by being named the Emerging Athlete of the Year at the AIS Sport Performance Awards.
The 28-year-old added the award to the Suncorp Super Netball Rookie of the Year prize she won earlier this month at the Australian Netball Awards in Brisbane.
Wallam has made every post a winner over the past nine months, after signing with Firebirds in January as a replacement player.
Having scored 519 goals at an 86 per cent goal accuracy in her debut SSN campaign, Wallam was rewarded with selection as a training partner for Australia’s netball squad at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
She would go on to make her Diamonds debut in October, coming off the bench against England in Newcastle to become just the third First Nations athlete to represent Australia in netball.
Wallam’s international debut was one she’ll never forget as well, scoring a dramatic winning goal in the dying seconds of the Test.
The goal shooter was left lost for words after claiming the award at Thursday’s gala event in Sydney ahead of a field that including Australian rugby sevens player Maddison Levi, Commonwealth Games pole vault gold medallist Nina Kennedy and Winter Olympian Valentino Guseli.
“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 it’s maybe the icing on top.
“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.”
