In leaked recordings from a Liberal forum last week, president-elect Mr Kroger praises the "brilliant" Labor campaign around firefighters and paramedics at the November state poll at which the one-time dominant conservatives were defeated after just one term in government. "Labor out-campaigned us so badly it was embarrassing. We dropped the ball."

He criticises his own party for failing to connect "emotionally" with voters, and for being more of a social network than mean fighting machine.

"We've got to turn the party into a campaigning organisation, otherwise we're going to get killed again and again and again. Labor have gone way past us in campaigning, way past us."

The leaking of the recordings comes as the Liberals prepare for next weekend's state council, which will review last year's defeat, consider the party's future, and elect new party leaders. Mr Kroger is standing unopposed for his second stint as state party president.

Liberal sources from across the factions agree their resurrected chief is paving the way for internal reform and, possibly, a potentially divisive shift of power from rank and file members to a pared back central executive.

The prospect of internal ructions in Victoria is unlikely to be welcomed by beleaguered Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who is already struggling for political survival.

The recordings from a party gathering in Mordialloc reveal a passionate Liberal warrior -  Mr Kroger was unaware he was being recorded – railing against the bureaucratisation of the party which he says is lacking in basic campaign skills.

"Labor are campaigning 24 hours a day, all day every day: phone banks, door knocking, fundraising, demonstrations, local campaigning, engaging with local community groups. What do we do? Social events and branch meetings," he told the gathering in Melbourne's south-east.

Mr Kroger says the Liberals' preselection system – largely determined by local plebiscites – favours party careerists, well known to members, over star recruits.

"We should be promoting those that have written books, who have written articles in newspapers, who have been on the radio advocating causes," he says.

His comments about preselection have angered some activists in the party who fear a return to more centralised decision making, and the shunning of hard-working party loyalists.

Mr Kroger says "cultural change" is necessary but concedes such change will have to be gradual because the Liberals are a "party of old people".

"Not every person can door knock or raise money or sign members, so we have a function for them – phone banking, ringing people at night."

He bemoans the party's lack of young members, pointing to the success of youthful Greens, and citing Chinese Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong on the need to "get them early".

"Once you join the Liberal Party at 18, 19, 20, 21 or whatever, it becomes your life basically," he says.

Speaking to The Age on Sunday, Mr Kroger acknowledged the need for cultural change within the party.

"We're underperforming and we need to do a lot better in a number of areas, including the greater involvement of women," he said.

While stressing the mention of Mao at the meeting was a throwaway line, he said he was concerned about the ageing of Liberal Party members and said there were lessons to be learnt from the Greens about attracting younger members.

He said the architecture of the party must allow for preselection of candidates with substantial careers but who may have had limited involvement on party committees. "We must reach out beyond our own ranks from time to time," he said.

Mr Kroger was a controversial president from 1987 to 1992 and a leading figure of what was known at the time as the "New Right'. In his first term as president he backed successful pre-selection challenges against long-term sitting members, including by his then close friend Peter Costello for the blue ribbon seat of Higgins.

A review of the party structure is likely to involve a potentially divisive revisiting of the popular 2008 reforms by former president David Kemp which devolved central and branch power to individual members.

Kroger opponents – the more socially progressive Liberals – say he is seeking to rebuild a diminished personal power base, and to deliver plum seats to factional supporters.

But his backers insist Mr Kroger only wants to "professionalise" the party and find ways to ensure that high-profile achievers are pre-selected over party hacks.

One senior party insider said: "Michael  is asking, 'How do we become more professional, more hungry, more political?'

"Under Kroger the central vote could be greater to get you more star candidates."

Sources close to Mr Kroger confirmed a possible review of the party structure but said it was unlikely until after the 2016 federal election.

Mr Kemp is also chairing a review of the November election defeat, with draft findings to be tabled at the state council next weekend.

Senior sources have confirmed the draft report is unlikely to include the kinds of reforms being considered by Mr Kroger. However, it will analyse the election loss and highlight problems including the party's poor image among women.

Mr Kroger last week told members that change was necessary. "One thing is for sure, we cannot go on the way we are," he said

Kroger - unguarded:

* Liberals have "dropped the ball" on campaigning and will be "killed again and again and again" at the polls by a more hungry Labor machine.

* Labor ran a "brilliant" campaign at state poll around firefighters and paramedic disputes.

*  The Napthine government should have settled the disputes.

* Liberals were out-campaigned to the point it was "embarrassing".

* Candidates should be high-profile media-savvy brands, not meeting-attending careerists.

* Liberals need "cultural change" – less socialising, and more door-knocking and fund-raising.

* Such change needs to be gradual because the Liberals are a party of "old people".

* Liberals should follow Chairman Mao's dictate on signing members while young, and learn from the Greens' appeal to youth.