West Coast Fever pursued the signature of goal shooter Donnell Wallam, the Suncorp Super Netball club has sensationally revealed, however Wallam's home state's club missed out after a New Zealand club were already deep in talks with the Noongar woman.

Northern Mystics announced last year they had seized on Wallam's availability weeks after the Queensland Firebirds informed the West Australian she would not to be offered a new contract for the 2025 Australian season.

Fever chief executive officer Simone Hansen finally confirmed speculation coach Dan Ryan had made Wallam a priority to replace the departing Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard in goal.

The Jamaican has been the leading goalscorer in the world's premier netball competition for the past three seasons.

"The club did reach out to Donnell Wallam's management in December 2024 to ascertain her availability to replace Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard," Hansen said in a recent statement

"However, as she was contracted with the Mystics in New Zealand, we decided not to pursue that option.

"But West Coast Fever certainly has not ruled out recruiting Donnell in the future."

Hansen did not indicate whether Wallam has a get-out-clause in her Mystics contract, which would enable her to return to an Australian-based club.

Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich said at the Suncorp Super Netball launch she felt "disappointed" that a netballer of Wallam's calibre will not be playing in the competition this year, but she would remains eligible to represent Australian in international fixtures.

Marinkovich said the Diamonds national program would continue to support Wallam while playing in New Zealand.

"We have conversations (of) how to support a player, and it's regardless of what's happening in any environment," she said.

"You want to make sure that they're able to process what's happening in their lives.

"And everyone has many different things coming at them."

Wallam, who only took up the sport after being converted from playing state basketball, started her professional netball career as a West Coast Fever training partner before heading to play with the Leeds Rhinos to gain further experience.

The most accurate goalscorer in the 2021 English Super League season amid breaking her arm in the early part of the year, Wallam's return home for the funeral of her grandmother was the lure to accept a lucrative three-year offer from the Firebirds.

Wallam continued to star in her third year, however a controversial decision was made by the Firebirds not to renew the contracts of the 31-year-old and her Māori teammate Remi Kamo.

That came after Wallam backed Kamo's claims of toxic culture at the club on social media.

"You stood up with strength, courage and resilience some can only dream of," Wallam posted.

"We know the truth and we will heal and move on.

"They know the truth and that's what they have to live with."

Interim Firebirds co-coaches had been appointed for the final games of last season, with former premiership mentor and Netball Queensland's head of talent and development, Roselee Jencke, and Katie Walker, the Firebirds assistant coach at the time, given the reins of running the team.

Despite scoring a mighty 66 goals in the club's third victory of 2024, Walker was instrumental in the decision to move on the Firebirds must successful shooter despite also describing Wallam in a press conference as a "winner".

"That's how I view her, that's the power of her, and when she feels that support, she will repay you and her team and the fans ten-fold," Walker said.

"You can't coach a lot of it - some people just have it in them, and Nellie is one of those who has that in them."