Romelda Aiken-George has been a mainstay in the Queensland Firebirds' shooting circle since 2008, when she signed her first professional netball contract in Australia and left her family to pursue opportunity overseas as an inexperienced teenager.
But a mixture of morning sickness and a bout of COVID changed her mind and she officially withdrew five days before the 2022 season start."I want to play, but don't want to put anyone at risk. The aim is to have this baby and then come back and see how we go. I want to finish on my terms." Megan Anderson was not able to carry out her high-performance coaching course prior to or during her time occupying the role.
Former Leeds Rhinos player and West Coast Fever training partner Wallam was brought into the team as a late replacement for Aiken-George, winning plenty of fans in her debut Super Netball season. Former Firebirds players who did not want to go on the record told the ABC they were shocked Aiken-George would not be given a chance to prove herself in that time frame and said they believed she still had more to give.
"Gretel Bueta, Donnell Wallam and Mia Stower developed a strong and proven combination during the 2022 Suncorp Super Netball season. "The Firebirds have developed a strong club culture over many seasons that embraces and supports life decisions of players, and suggestions that the club operates otherwise is not fair on the current and former playing group and management."The Firebirds had garnered a reputation for being a welcoming place for mothers, after offering contracts to a number of returning first-time mums over the past few years.
As part of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement , players are entitled to 100 per cent income protection on all earnings for up to two years if they fall pregnant, but Aiken-George only signed a one-year contract for 2022.Former Diamonds midcourter Kim Green said although nothing is ever guaranteed in professional sport, more support was needed in this area.
Firebirds wouldn’t be who they are without her!
So chances are that she is not a man then?
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