Donnell Wallam breaks silence on netball sponsorship saga, makes Stolen Generation revelation

Netball star Donnell Wallam has broken her silence on last year’s sponsorship saga, revealing why she wouldn’t waver from her values.

Australian netballer Donnell Wallam has broken her silence on the sponsorship saga that rocked the sport last year, revealing her father was part of the Stolen Generation.

Last October, Wallam told her teammates she had asked not to wear the Hancock Prospecting logo on the Diamonds uniform because of comments made by Lang Hancock in the 1980s about sterilising Indigenous Australians.

Through their “Sisters in Arms” mantra, the Diamonds squad rallied around Wallam and all agreed not to wear the logo.

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After a tense stand-off, Wallam eventually said she would be prepared wear the logo but Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting pulled out of a $15 million sponsorship deal before Netball Australia received a cent of funding.

Wallam made a fairytale international debut for the Diamonds against England, coming on in the dying stages and shooting the matchwinning goal on the buzzer.

She became a lightning rod for vitriol and commentary in a media storm after Hancock withdrew its funding.

Donnell Wallam celebrates shooting the matchwinning goal on Australian debut. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Wallam is proud she stuck to her values. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for Netball Australia)

Six months on, Wallam has told News Corp the controversy took a toll on her but she is proud for sticking to her guns and not wavering from her values.

“It was really difficult,” Wallam said.

“I’m just so grateful that the girls in the Diamonds environment and the staff all had my back.

“We were kind of in a bubble, so we tried to block out as much (noise) as we could, even though there was so much out there.

“The one thing I learnt from that is to always back yourself and stand by what you believe in and that’s something that I’ll always do because first and foremost, I’m a human and I’ve got values and I’ve got a life outside of netball.

“So if I’m not true to myself, then I’m not the best netballer I can be.”

As the first Indigenous netball player in more than 20 years to represent Australia, Wallam took on a huge burden but said she was determined to be a role model for future generations.

“My dad was part of the Stolen Generation,” Wallam said.

“So it hits home when stuff like (Lang Hancock’s comments) are out there.

“I’m always going to be an advocate for my family and my mob.”

Wallam is in superb form for the Firebirds. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“If I’m not stepping up and having that conversation, then it’s going to be on the next person that comes through and we want to be making our pathways and netball environments an easier place and more enjoyable place for First Nations athletes.

As difficult as it is, someone has to do it.

“And if that’s me, then I’ll take on that load for the next generation to come.

“I hope that when we do look back on it in the future that we’ve learned something from it. That’s the main thing.”

The 29-year-old has since gone from strength to strength in her second season with the Queensland Firebirds, surged into contention to be picked in Australia’s squad for the Netball World Cup later this year.

Firebirds duo Wallam and young gun Lessa Mi Mi are the only two Indigenous players currently in Super Netball, and will take centre stage in the Firebirds’ home game on against t Melbourne Vixens on Sunday in First Nations Round.

Originally published as Donnell Wallam breaks silence on netball sponsorship saga, makes Stolen Generation revelation