Mr Nolan, a life member of the Ovens and Murray Football League, said he was considering running as an independent at the election in November.

“I’ve been approached a couple of times, as I have in the past, to consider looking at politics and I was giving that some thought,” he said.

“But I am still a long way off making a decision.”

Mr Nolan retired as editor of the Wangaratta Chronicle in March last year after 40 years in the newspaper industry.

He said he had a long-term interest in state and federal politics, but retirement would factor in his decision.

“I retired for a purpose, but you never say never,” he said.

Mr Nolan said he was approached locally to run for the seat held by the Nationals’ Ken Jasper.

Mr Nolan said he would give it serious consideration soon.

“I’ll probably have to sit down and have a bit of a think about it now.”

Mr Nolan was made Wangaratta Citizen of the Year in 2007 and awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2008.

He was a founding member of the Wangaratta Council’s business development arm, Wangaratta Unlimited, and a life member of the Ovens and Murray Football League and the Wangaratta Magpies.

He has played 175 games for the Magpies and was premiership coach in 1976.

Other confirmed candidates for the seat of Murray Valley are Cobram’s Tim McCurdy for the National Party and Rutherglen’s Lachlan Enshaw for Labor.

Former Nationals preselection candidate Dean Woods, of Wangaratta, is also considering running as an independent.

Outgoing Member for Murray Valley Ken Jasper was yesterday confident his National Party successor would poll well in November.

“Tim is working extremely well and extremely hard,” he said.

“He’s contacting people and moving all over the electorate.”