Harvey netball product Donnell Wallam stars on Suncorp Super Netball debut for Queensland Firebirds

Harvey netball product Donnell Wallam made an electrifying Suncorp Super Netball debut for the Queensland Firebirds at the weekend as they narrowly went down to the Melbourne Vixens.

Wallam, who signed for the Brisbane-based side last week, scored 43 goals from 48 attempts in the match, including two super shots. The Vixens won 70 to 65 at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena.

Some last-quarter heroics from the Firebirds failed to claw back a 13-goal three-quarter-time deficit to the Vixens, who were wooden spooners last year but fancied by many to reach the grand final in 2022.

Wallam went head-to-head with Malawi and Vixen shooter Mwai Kumwenda, who also scored 43 goals from the same amount of attempts.

The 28-year-old signed with the club after star shooter Romelda Aiken-George took maternity leave after initially intending to play on early in the season.

The former West Coast Fever training partner and Leeds Rhinos goal shooter had been in Queensland since early February training with the club after Aiken-George informed them she was pregnant.

It completes a remarkable rise to prominence for Wallam, who played for Waroona in the Peel Football-Netball League in 2018, and also featured in four games for Harvey Bulls women’s side in the South West Football League in the same year.

The South West star turned down an offer from Fever to be a train-on again, which would have her as cover for the world’s best shooter in Jhaniele Fowler.

Wallam decided not to continue with Leeds Rhinos for the 2021 Vitality Netball Superleague and instead moved back to Australia to be closer to family.

The 191cm talent suffered a fractured radius in her second match for the Leeds side, but was incredibly still able to score 483 goals from her 11 games at an average of almost 43 goals a game.

Wallam’s Firebirds are set for a Queensland derby on the weekend when they play the Sunshine Coast Lightning at USC Stadium on Saturday.