To call Donnell Wallam's first year in top-flight professional netball outstanding would be an understatement.
From entering her rookie Suncorp Super Netball season as a replacement player for the Queensland Firebirds in January to scoring the Test-winning goal for the Australian Diamonds during her international debut in October, her rapid rise to the top-tier of Australian netball has been nothing short of remarkable.
The Noongar goal shooter now has another feather in her cap after her achievements throughout 2022 were acknowledged with the Emerging Athlete of the Year award at the Australian Institute of Sport's Sport Performance awards.
The 190cm shooter played in all 14 Queensland Firebirds matches, ending the competition ranked fifth highest in scoring with 519 goals at 86 per cent accuracy during her debut season.
She also made 26 super shots (a score worth two goals) and hauled in 35 offensive rebounds in her maiden year, ranking her fourth highest in offensive rebounds in the competition.
Her domestic form lead to a squad position as a training partner for the Australian netball squad ahead of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
She eventually made her Diamonds debut in the first match of the three test home series against England, where she came off the bench to score 8 goals on 100 per cent shooting, including the game-winning lay-up goal with only seconds left on the clock.
What a year for Donnell Wallam who last night was crowned the Emerging Athlete of the Year at the AIS Sports Performance Awards!
Congrats Donnell! 💪 pic.twitter.com/F6IUt47dPu
— Netball Australia (@NetballAust) December 15, 2022
After being selected ahead of rugby sevens player Maddison Levi, Commonwealth Games pole vault gold medallist Nina Kennedy and Winter Olympian Valentino Guseli, Wallam was left lost for words after claiming the award at the AIS' recent balck-tie gala event.
"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."
The award wasn't the only silverware Wallam collected during her breakout 2022 season, with the 28-year-old also collecting the Suncorp Super Netball Rookie of the Year award earlier in the month.
Wallam joins Marcia Ella-Duncan, Nicole Cusack and Sharon Finnan-White as First Nations netballers to have represented Australia.
