Faces in the crowd: HawkHead Rhonda Fisher

During the Illawarra Hawks' 43-year existence, 221 players have pulled on the club's jersey.

But the number of fans who have supported the foundation club during that period is exponentially more.

As such, the club has decided to profile some of the most prominent and longest-serving HawkHeads with our new 'faces in the crowd' series.

After profiling Illawarra's three intern coaches and long-time HawkHead Carl Stanbridge, we decided to feature the commitment and journey of Rhonda Fisher - who fell in love with the game at 13.

"My obsession with playing the game led to an easy transition with following the game," said Fisher, who played at a junior and senior level for Illawarra.

"I became involved with officiating on the scoretable when I was 19 and that was the start of my association with the Hawks - a role I held for 44 years.

"During this time I have also held the position of publicity officer."

This association allowed Fisher to create countless lifelong friends at the club.

"While doing the scoretable, I had a close association with the players and I have made so many good friends," she said.

"Back in the Snakepit days, it was like a big family.

"We got the seats in every game day, we painted the stadium, filled the eskies for the private boxes -anything that had to be done, we all just chipped in."

Like all HawkHeads, Fisher has numerous fantastic stories from her time on the bench.

"I have been abused, called a cheat and worse - one such case was with Bruce Palmer," she said.

"He swore at the people on the bench and I put in an official complaint about his behaviour.

"He phoned me at home and asked me to withdraw my complaint and tried to tell me he didn’t have a very good grasp of the English language - a man that was born in the United States, I could have sworn it was an English speaking country.

"After this run-in, he came out in the local paper and called us 'crass' and likened the Snakepit to a barn from Hooterville.

"Another memory is the crowds at the Snakepit - they were unbelievable with every square inch covered with fans… in the aisles, around the edge of the court … you couldn’t move.

"On several occasions, the lights went out mysteriously when the Hawks were behind.

"The fans in the bar were notorious for being able to make the basket shake and move when the opposition were shooting free throws."

There are two other memories that stand out to Fisher.

"My favourite memory to date would have to be game three of the grand final playoffs in Townsville," she said.

"We watched it on a big screen at the WIN Entertainment Centre - It was unbelievable…we won a championship.

"I have watched that game so many times.

"When the team came back from Townsville, all the fans gathered at the WIN Entertainment Centre and the team came on stage to 'We are the Champions'- I cried, as it felt like my life was complete.

"The other memory that stands out, which happened a couple of years later, was when I had the honour of becoming a life member of the club, which is still a huge highlight of mine."

As well as reflecting, Fisher also explained how she is happy with the direction the club is headed.

"Over the years, the club has evolved and become more professional," she said.

"Since moving to the WIN Entertainment Centre, we have lost the need for as many volunteers and we have lost the family atmosphere overall the fans remain loyal through the good times and the bad.

"Being a diehard fan, I just turn up and support the club regardless and am excited for what the future holds."