MARTIN Cattalini was last night named the top Taipan for season 2008-09, winning the club's MVP award for the third time.

The award capped a sweet four years in Cairns for Cattalini who led the Taipans to three playoff appearances in his time at the club and finished runner-up in the league MVP voting in 2007.

Snakes coach Mark Beecroft said Cattalini was the Taipans’ leader in MVP votes tallied by coaches throughout the NBL, something the Taipans used as a guide to separate him from fellow MVP candidates Aaron Grabau and Ian Crosswhite.

The others did not miss out at last night’s Starry, Starry Night celebration at the convention centre though, both picking up awards. Grabau, the Taipans’ only remaining foundation player, was named defensive player of the year, taking the award for the third time overall and becoming the first to register back-to-back wins.

Crosswhite won the coach’s award for his contributions on and off the court. Beecroft said while Crosswhite’s form was occasionally up and down, his effort to stick out the season after the club was placed in voluntary administration, having been a victim of the Sydney Kings’ collapse only months earlier, showed great character.

Alf Newberry from Cairns Plan Printing was named club person of the year after allowing his employees, including club photographer and former clubman winner Gordon Greeves, significant company time to work with the Taipans.

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