National Party MP Damian Drum will quit the Victorian Upper House to seek preselection for the federal seat of Murray.

The Nationals are keen to regain the seat which is being vacated by Liberal Sharman Stone, who announced on Saturday she would not contest the election after 20 years in Parliament.

Mr Drum’s decision to run sets up a likely contest against their Coalition partners, who are expected to preselect a new Liberal candidate in the coming weeks.

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Mr Drum was educated in Shepparton and had a career as a footballer and coach before being elected to the State Parliament in 2002.

He said he would have to win the hearts, minds and trust of voters in Murray if he was to regain the seat for his party and believed he had enough support to win his party’s endorsement.

“It’s the never-ending [issues] surrounding agriculture and and water and I think we just have an ongoing need to deliver some of these projects for our region,” he said.

“At the moment the National Party are very well centred to be able to deliver on some of these big projects that are pressing for Shepparton and the greater Goulburn Valley and the Murray electorate.

“That’s why I’ve decided to give the people of the Murray electorate a real option and that’s why I’ve decided to throw my hat into the ring.”

Mr Drum admitted the change from state to federal politics was a “big step”.

“That’s the lure that’s dragging me in,” he said.