South West netball star Donnell Wallam admits Perth will always be home ahead of new Super Netball season

South West netball star Donnell Wallam has admitted “Perth will always be home” as her career continues to grow on the east coast. The right to sign three-year contracts was one of the concessions won by national league netballers last year after long-running, hard-fought collective bargaining negotiations, but the 30-year-old goal-shooter opted to lock in only one more season with the Queensland Firebirds. Wallam, who was born and raised in Harvey, told CODE Sports she did not know what her playing future would hold. “I’m just doing what I have to do and I’m (in Queensland) on a contract and so l’ll make this my home as well,” she said. “I have my own rental, my family comes over (to the east coast), so during the season Brisbane is home. “I have a lot of pride in playing for Queensland and whoever I play for, I always give 110 per cent and I would just love to be part of success here in Queensland as well. I think that would be great. “And I think the fans deserve to be having some success. I don’t think the Firebirds have been in the finals for a few years now, so I think we’d all love for that to happen this year.” Wallam’s star has risen precipitously since she made her Super Netball debut as a 28-year-old in 2022, immediately cementing herself as one of the league’s leading shooters and representing the national team for the first time in the same year. Entering her third season with the Firebirds, she told CODE Sports the side was searching for more consistency after a difficult 2023. “Our goal this year is to play finals and I think we’re a good chance,” she said. “A lot of people probably have written us off because we are such a young, inexperienced team, but we have self belief.” The Firebirds will open their Super Netball campaign against the Melbourne Mavericks, the competition’s newest side, in Melbourne next Friday.