Premier Cricket: Tom Donnell appointed assistant coach of Dandenong

Tom Donnell is not only playing on for the Panthers, he’s joined the coaching panel. And a new fast bowler has landed at Shepley.

Playing on: Tom Donnell on the attack for Dandenong. Picture: Valeriu Campan

It can be stated as emphatically as the way Tom Donnell deals with a stray short ball: the Dandenong champion is playing on in Victorian Premier Cricket.

Donnell’s future has been one of the big talking points of the off-season.

A few weeks ago the club announced on social media that the left-hand opener had committed to playing in 2021-22, but it’s fair to say that was news to Donnell.

Local clubs came for him as he contemplated withdrawing from the Premier scene.

However the 34-year-old has now accepted a position on the Dandenong coaching panel and when Round 1 comes around he will pick up on a career that has so far brought him 8615 runs and 267 matches.

Dandenong coach Warren Ayres said he hoped Donnell would play long enough to reach 10,000 runs in Premier Cricket.

He said Donnell belonged in the fine group of players to attain the milestone.

“I’d like to see him do that, get to 10,000 District runs,’’ Ayres said.

“He deserves to be in that sort of company, with those other batsmen.

“I know he’s not driven by that sort of stuff but it would be a nice feather in his cap.’’

Tom Donnell has hit 8615 runs in Victorian Premier Cricket.

While Donnell has relinquished the captaincy – last season he led the Panthers to the grand final against Prahran – he’s joined Ayres and assistants Craig Slocombe, Brett Forsyth (the new skipper) and Prabath Nissanka on the coaching panel.

“He’s putting his toes in the water to see whether the coaching is something he wants to pursue down the track,’’ Ayres said.

“I’m rapt he’ll be working with our younger players. They can learn so much from him. Whether it’s coaching or playing, it’s just fantastic to have him around the club, because he’s so respected.’’

Meanwhile, Ayres said the club had recruited a fast-bowling prospect in Andrew Jones, 200cm right-arm paceman.

Jones, 24, comes from Kingston Hawthorn, where he won the Second XI bowling average two years ago, but he’s a relatively inexperienced cricketer.

For a few years his main focus was on football; he played for Tasmania in the TAC Cup and later in WA.

This year he turned out for Caulfield in the Southern league.

He hadn’t played cricket for eight years when he joined Kingston Hawthorn ahead of the 2019-20 season.

“He’s raw, but he’s tall and he’s got some pace, and I think he’s going to be around the mark,’’ Ayres said.

“He’s mates with Sam Newell (who has also crossed to Dandenong from Kingston Hawthorn) and he’s decided to join us and see what he can do with his cricket.

“I’m trying to play it down a bit but I think he’s a smoky.’’