Sam Groth wins Liberal party preselection for state seat of Nepean

The Liberal Party has made a bold declaration after tennis ace Sam Groth was confirmed as the party’s candidate for the state seat of Nepean.

Sam Groth, pictured here with his wife Brittany and twin sons Mason and Parker, will be the Liberal candidate for the state seat of Nepean. Picture: Michael Klein

Aussie tennis ace Sam Groth will be the Liberal candidate for the state seat of Nepean at the November election.

Groth, who is a former World Number 53, won party preselection for the seat on Tuesday night.

Sources close to Groth confirmed to the Herald Sun that he secured 74 votes to easily win the vote.

He beat local state conference chair David Burgess and ex-Bentleigh MP Liz Miller who secured 33 and four votes, respectively.

Groth, 34, was strongly backed by federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg who was thrilled with the convincing win.

The Liberals believe Groth will bring what’s needed to reclaim the traditionally Liberal seat.

Liberal party state director Sam McQuestin confirmed the news on Twitter.

One source close to Groth told the Herald Sun that the party was stoked with the outcome.

“This is a huge win for the Liberal Party and a tremendous victory for the people of Nepean,” the source said.

“Tonight is the night the Victorian Liberal Party won the seat of Nepean back.”

Frydenberg who was thrilled with Groth’s convincing win.

In December last year, Groth, said it was time for a change in government.

“Like many Victorians, I think it’s time for a change in government,” he said at the time.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy and deputy Liberal leader David Southwick both congratulated Groth on Twitter.

“Congratulations @SamGrothTennis you will make a great Member for Nepean,” Southwick wrote.

Guy added: “Well done Sam!”

Nepean was considered a relatively safe seat for the Liberal Party until Labor’s Chris Brayne’s shock 2018 election win.

Final Victorian Electoral Commission figures showed Liberal candidate Russell Joseph won the primary vote.

But after preferences, Mr Brayne won the seat by 767 votes — 21,512 (50.91 per cent) over Mr Joseph 20,745 (49.09 per cent).

The unlikely victory at the age of just 26 forced Mr Brayne to give up his weekend job at Dromana drive-in and love of writing sitcom pilot scripts.

Liberal MP Martin Dixon held the seat for 22 years before standing down and campaigning for the party.

Mr Dixon retired sitting on a 7.6 per cent margin.

Labor had last held the seat when it was known as Dromana for one term in the 1980s.

While Groth only recently moved to Blairgowrie with his wife Britt and their twin boys, key backers say his connections to the area are deep-rooted.