Major candidates downplay chances in… Underdog’s breakfast

Hamish Heard
All except two of the major parties’ local candidates have claimed underdog status for November 25’s state election.
And the two Labor MPs who refused to tag themselves underdogs predicted razor-thin margins despite the party’s landslide victory at the 2002 election.
Sitting Labor Member for South Barwon Michael Crutchfield said he was “definitely the underdog” after reports his party had conceded it would lose his seat to Liberal challenger Michael King.
But Mr King claimed Mr Crutchfield was running favourite for the seat after he won with a five per cent margin at the last election.
Labor MP John Eren, who will contest his party’s safest local seat at the election, also claimed underdog status.
Mr Eren will run for the lower house seat of Lara after a reshuffle involving his Upper House seat and the retirement of ALP colleague and incumbent sitting member Peter Loney.
Mr Eren’s party won Lara with a seemingly invincible 22 per cent margin at the last election but the buffer did not prevent the MP suffering an apparent bout of nerves this week.
“No seat is safe and there’s always a feeling you’re the underdog,” Mr Eren said.
Mr Eren’s Liberal counterpart, Angelo Kakouros, was also claiming underdog status.
“I’m up against a 22 per cent margin, so it’s a massive challenge to win but even if I could make the seat marginal again I would be pleased,” Mr Kakouros said.
Liberal candidates for Bellarine and Geelong, Don Gibson and Scott Dixon, also said they were underdogs.
But their respective ALP opponents, Lisa Neville and Ian Trezise, shied away from the underdog tag.
But they were not taking their seats for granted, either.
“I don’t think I’m miles ahead or miles behind, I’m treating it as a very tight contest at this stage,” Ms Neville said
Mr Trezise refused to speculate on his Geelong seat.
“I don’t have a crystal ball,” he said.