The Grand Final of the Port Douglas Pool Competition was an exciting showdown, with Club Mossman’s Peter “Postie” O’Reilly snatching the win from Reef Tavern on the final shot. 

The best-of-12 format was neck-and-neck early, with scores level 3-all at the halfway mark.

The Tav Rats forged ahead at the start of the second half of the match and led 6-4 at one stage before Mossman stormed home to take it to a tie breaker.

Arguably the best player on the day, Postie Pete, pushed ahead in the decider, but the nerves were showing. 

He was visibly shaking as he lined up the eight-ball shot, but sunk the black anyway to deliver his team a 7-6 win. 

In the second division, Rattle and Hum defeated Reef Tavern.

The Tavern had both its sides playing off in both grades for the first time under the new roof, but the fairytale result was not to be.

The Port Douglas Crocs won a host of gongs at the AFL Cairns awards night, including Men’s Coach of the Year, Men’s Rising Star and both Most Valuable Players.

Senior coach Nick Salter was crowned best in the league, young gun Cayden Stabenow took out the Rising Star and Sam Fairclough and women’s captain Caty McPhee were the MVPs.

Salter said, while he appreciated the honour, it was no compensation for missing out on the Grand Final after finishing top of the minor round.

“It’s not really that good after losing,” Salter said.

“We want to be winning premierships.”

He said most of the team would be back next year to chase the one that got away this year, and he was proud of the tightness of the playing unit.

“They love each others’ company,” he said.

“This is something to build on.”