Indigenous netball star Donnell Wallam has shared on Instagram a racist letter sent to her in the wake of the Hancock Prospecting logo saga.
The letter from ‘Mary’ said Wallam, 30, was “being manipulated by the radical Aboriginal filth”, was “ignorant”, and labelled her behaviour “disgraceful”.
The saga began in a team meeting in October 2022 when Wallam – then uncapped – raised concerns about wearing the logo of Hancock Prospecting, who were then a major sponsor of the Diamonds.
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It led to Gina Rinehart pulling the sponsorship altogether, before the Victorian Government stepped in a week later.
The letter also appears to have been dated June 2024, some 18 months after the scandal broke.
Wallam during the Nations Cup match against Uganda in the UK in January. Getty
“I am writing to you to express my sadness that your (sic) cost the Australian Diamonds, of $15,000,000, caused by your radically influenced comments about Gina Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock,” the letter began.
“Mr Hancock’s comments about serialisation (sic) of Aboriginals was disgusting and made by one man. However, at the time his daughter was not yet born as you were not yet born.
“You were influenced by the nasty activist Aboriginal clique that hates everything Australia. You fell into their spell and caused such a loss of donations to Australian Netball. Hang your head in shame girl, for being manipulated by the radical Aboriginal filth.
“Mrs Reinhart (sic) generously donated millions of dollars to Australian Netball and you in your ignorance, sent it over the cliff. A disgraceful behaviour, not thought out, and brought on by the radical Aboriginal left.
“I went to school in Perth and had many good Noongar friends that I still love today. You are a disgrace to the Noongar Tribe.
“I will never watch you play, ever.”
The letter concluded with a bizarre acknowledgement of “British and European elders past and present”, that was clearly intended to be a spoof of the Welcome to Country, as well as a tribute to Captain Cook and Admiral Arthur Phillip for “established Australia’s first civilisation, which has since developed to become the most tolerant and generous civilisation on the face of the Globe”.
Wallam said she was “beyond disgusted and hurt” by the letter.
“But I will never stop advocating for my people. Blak, Loud and Proud. ALWAYS.
“Ps: any of Mary’s Noongar friends wanna come claim their sister girl?”
On Thursday morning, Netball Australia issued a statement applauding Donnell for speaking out.
“…The entire netball community (is) deeply committed to inclusion and equality stand together with Donnell Wallam to call out the disgusting racial abuse directed at our champion player by a member of the public,” it read.
“Donnell is a proud Noongar woman and an ambassador for all First Nations people and our sport. We applaud and admire her strength, her courage and her dignity in the face of such hate.”
The scandal began in October 2022 after Wallam, who was about to play her first series for the Diamonds, in a team meeting raised concerns about wearing the logo of Netball Australia sponsor Hancock Prospecting.
Her concerns stemmed from comments Rinehart’s father Lang Hancock made in 1984 that indigenous Australians should be sterilised to “breed themselves out.”
Netball Australia was at the time in debt to the tune of about $7 million, and the four-year $15 million sponsorship was seen as a godsend for the sport.
The scandal eventually led to Australia’s richest woman pulling the sponsorship, before the Victorian Government stepped in a week later.
The Super Netball competition will this weekend celebrate First Nations round.