Port Douglas crocs president, Andy Smith, has been awarded the Cairns AFL’s highest honour, life membership of the league.

Smith, who was instrumental in forming the Port Douglas AFL club 25 years ago with the late Ernie Baxter, was awarded the honour at the CAFL medal count at Cazaly’s Stadium on Monday night.

Currently serving his fourth stint as president, Smith has housed scores of footballers in his home, invested countless hours and dollars into the club, and helped oversee major developments of the club, including the building of clubrooms at Port Douglas Sports Complex, and more recently, the installation of lights at the ground.

Receiving the honour in front of around 200 people, Smith said he was honoured to have been inducted onto a prestigious list of 22 since the league’s inception in 1956, which included league founder, Kevin Crathern and Max O’Halloran, later paying tribute to the late Baxter.

It was a good night for the Crocs, with two other major awards going to players for season 2013.

Exciting gun, Michael McKeown, was awarded the under-18s best and fairest, the Reg Lillywhite Medal, while reserves full-forward, Jason “Harry” Wilkie was joint winner of the reserves goal kicking award.

Wilkie kicked 45 goals this season, equal with North Cairns’ Leigh Jorgensen, while McKeown’s outstanding season earned him the league’s highest honour for his age group.

Seniors best and fairest, the Crathern Medal, went to Cairns Saints full forward, Matt Walsh, who also claimed the seniors goal kicking award, breaking his own league record of three goals on last year with a total of 134 for the season.

Crocs players Adam Boone (13 votes) and Dylan Wearmouth (9) also polled in the Crathern, but could not catch Walsh on 20 votes who had the medal sewn up in the latter rounds with outstanding goal kicking tallies.

The reserves best and fairest, the Reg Dean Medal, went to Cairns City Lions’, Thomas Furness, while Crocs’ Mitch Nicholson (8 votes) and Matt Gard (9) also caught the umpires’ attention.

North Cairns produced three winners on the night with mark of the year (Thomas Clough), goal of the year (Isaac Rokeby, ahead of Port’s Thomas Bowring) and coach of the year, Kane Richter.