MPCA: Long Island signs Josh Dowling and Jurgen Andersen

Fresh from winning an MPCA premiership, Long Island has locked in a new coach and a gun recruit.

Jurgen Andersen bowling for Buckley Ridges in the DDCA.

Long Island has been busy since winning the MPCA Peninsula grand final last month.

With their place back in Provincial secured, the Islanders have taken key strides towards more success in 2021-22.

First, they locked in former Dandenong keeper-batsman Josh Dowling as playing-coach, with Rob Birnie his assistant.

Dowling played a handful of First XI games alongside Warren Ayres and Peter Siddle at Dandy in 2002-03.

He also represented Vic Country and has coached at four senior clubs, winning three senior premierships, and is a more than handy middle order bat.

He’s a school teacher at Woodlands Primary School in Langwarrin.

New Long Island coach Josh Dowling (left) and assistant coach Rob Birnie.

Recognising a need to bolster its fast bowling stocks, Long Island signed Ferntree Gully Country Week paceman Jurgen Andersen, from the Eildon Park club.

The right-armer also played with Buckley Ridges in the DDCA.

Long Island president James Haley said Andersen would bolster a well-rounded bowling attack including Andrew Tweddle, Dan Kelly, Tom Boxell and Zac Wilson.

“I think that extra quick will definitely help us,” he said.

Haley believes Long Island has the talent to contend for the top prize in Provincial next season.

“We want to challenge,” he said.

“There’s no point going up and not challenging.

“While we’ve got guys like Tom (Boxell) playing for us we’d be mad not to be throwing everything we can at it to challenge.’’

Long Island has the talent to make an impact in MPCA Provincial next season.

Haley hoped champion batsman Nick Jewell would play on next summer, believing he could play a vital role as the Islanders step up a grade.

“We’re not sure about Nick,’’ he said.

“If you’d ask him now he’d probably say he’s too old and done.

“Give him a couple more months and he might be more interested. But he’s earned the right to decide what he wants to do.

“It’s just been great to have him the last couple of years. We want him to be there next year to help us in our first year back in Provincial, and we think he’d be really important in the middle order and also with his advice.

“If he does play he won’t play all year. He will choose when he’s playing. That’s okay with us, we’ve made that pretty clear.”

Long Island was an MPCA powerhouse in the 1990s but last month’s First XI flag was its first since 2008-09 — Haley’s first season as club president.

“I’d forgotten what First XI flags mean to a club,’’ Haley said.

“And that’s a bit weird given I grew up at Long Island winning flags.

“Just seeing some of the old time players standing there and pretty much crying, it meant so much to them.”