Caitlin Bassett: Donnell Wallam playing in New Zealand after failure to sign with Queensland Firebirds

Another season of Super Netball is done and dusted and with the signing period for 2025 now complete the purpose of the league is once again being debated. Are we focused on being the best league in the world or providing an opportunity for Australian talent to thrive? Because at the moment we can’t be both. The competition is a world-leader with players on paid 12-month contracts and given access to the best coaches and high performance training environments in the world. The chance to earn a full time wage and play against the best in the business attracts the best players from across the globe and with only eight teams and 10 contracts per team the competition for spots is stiff. With international athletes flocking Down Under the opportunities for Aussie talent - in the goal shooting position in particular - are becoming almost impossible to come by. On Monday it was announced that Australian Diamonds goal shooter Donnell Wallam had signed to play in the New Zealand netball league with the Northern Mystics after missing out on a contract in Super Netball. The West Australian product joined the Queensland Firebirds as a maternity cover for Jamaican international Romelda Aiken-George in 2022 and Gretel Bueta last year but has controversially not been offered a contract leaving the 30-year-old without a club. When the news broke that Wallam was leaving the Firebirds I knew the odds of her getting another contract in Australia were extremely slim. It was a situation I found myself in when I broke my contract and left the Giants at the end of 2020 and signed for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in 2021. There were no shooting contracts available at the time in Super Netball and while I was the starting goal shooter and captain of the Australian team the only choice I had was to head across the ditch if I wanted to keep my career alive. While I still had a year to run on a three year contract I had signed back in 2019, I figured I would be better off playing and enjoying my netball in New Zealand rather than staying to spend another season on the bench as the coach favoured English shooter Jo Harten. The plan was to spend a season learning in a new environment and come back to Super Netball when contracts became available for the 2022 season. My plan unfortunately backfired when I injured both knees and I was forced to retire. Donnell will remain in the Diamonds squad and still be available for selection however it will be hard for her to secure a contract back in Australia if she isn’t able to showcase her talents. There are only eight spots for goal shooters across the league and with 201cm Ugandan international Mary Cholhok signing for the Firebirds, effectively replacing the 193cm Wallam, and star Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke for the Swifts there are now only two positions held by Australian’s Sophie Garbin (Vixens) and Cara Koenen (Lightning). As a former Australian player its no surprise that I want to see more Australian players getting an opportunity to play in our domestic league - it’s how I developed as a young player myself. Playing week in, week out, gave me the chance to learn and develop into a player who eventually got to lead the national team and play 102 tests. While international players are incredible and bring so much to our league I worry that if our two current Diamonds shooters got injured it would leave us with very few options. The Australian team has a rich history of success due to the constant pressure of players competing for positions and driving the standards forward. As it stands the Diamonds’ trophy cabinet is overflowing and as a country we hold every title available in the sport. But as someone who had their career end abruptly I know how quickly things can change. Selfishly I want nothing more than to see the Diamonds dominate for decades to come and that means more Aussie girls being given their shot in the Super Netball in the coveted goal shooter position.