Always greeting you with a smile, up for a joke and constantly sacrificing time to help others.

Not many volunteers come more committed and friendly as the late Ronda and her partner Kevin.

When you call the two and get the answering machine, it's not just Kevin and Ronda you're calling, it's the Macleay Valley Eagles - and it's said with such joy.

The two have been the heart and soul of the Macleay Valley Eagles AFL Club for the past decade and after fighting a battle with leukemia, the passing of Ronda leaves a significant void in the Macleay community.

Moving from Victoria to South West Rocks over 10 years ago, both Kevin and Ronda joined the Macleay Valley Eagles after being disturbed by opposition crowd behaviour.

"We went to watch a game and I was really incensed by the abuse from adults given to Indigenous kids, it was really shocking and I said to Ron I'm going to get involved and help out the club and the kids," Kevin previously told the Argus.

Ronda Colliver: "We bought our own bus so we could pick up most of our juniors for the games."

"It takes us about one and a half hours to pick up everyone, travelling from the Rocks and going to all the different houses throughout Kempsey."

The two then dedicated considerable time into the sport and held almost every position in the club.

"Both Ronda and Kev poured countless hours into AFL in the region through their efforts in running development clinics in schools, administering the club, coaching, and preparing grant applications," North Coast AFL community manager Paul Taylor said.

"More importantly, they volunteered as much time, if not more, to collect kids from their homes and drive them to training and matches as well as providing meals, care, and acting as registered respite carers for a number of the players.

"In 2015 Ronda and Kev were jointly awarded the AFL North Coast Junior Competition Volunteer of the Year award for their efforts.

"In October of that same year they took a group of 32 players, parents, and siblings on a six-day trip from Kempsey to Townsville and Cairns where they played two matches against local teams and were involved in a number of Indigenous cultural activities.

"In 2016 the duo were selected amongst 12 national finalists in the Suncorp Bank Hidden Local Heroes award for their amazing work with the footy club."

Former Macleay Valley Eagles president and great friend of Ronda and Kevin, Mark Plummer, recalls that Queensland trip vividly.

"She did all the heaving lifting in terms of admin which would be thousands of hours," he recalled.

"The trip from Kempsey to Cairns was huge, I was lucky enough to be there for that first game against a team from Cape York - that was an amazing day.

"She loved the Indigenous kids, that was the whole reason for the Cairns trip, for those kids to play against those Indigenous teams and that was a great experience."

Their dedication was previously recognised in 2017, when they were awarded a Federal Member's Award for unselfish work throughout the community.

Along with her work at the Eagles, Ronda was heavily involved with PCYC Kempsey and Uniting Church Garden Of Opportunity Op Shop at South West Rocks.

"Ronda and Kevin had both been volunteering on Friday nights at PCYC for many years at a program designed to have a safe place for local kids to go," PCYC club manager Anika Vidler said.

"They would help us produce up to 130 meals on a Friday night as well as engage with children and offer them kind words, support and just be a nice, safe person in their lives."

"Whenever you were around her there was just this warmth that a lot of kids don't get access to.

"PCYC are absolutely devastated to hear that Ronda has passed and we thank her for all her involvement and support she's given to our organisation.

"She's impacted many lives throughout the years and our thoughts are with Kevin and family at this time, she will be sadly missed."

Macleay Valley Eagles president Evan Aspiotis echoed the sentiments of many.

"She did a lot for this community, the whole Macleay Valley," he said.

"We've lost a great friend, one of our best supporters, volunteers that worked tirelessly to support the club, she really put her heart and soul into it."

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